SC okays Sanskrit as third language in KVs

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 16

The Supreme Court today approved reintroduction of Sanskrit as a third language for Kendriya Vidyala students in Classes VI-VIII in the middle of the academic year after the government assured that there would be no exam or internal assessment in the subject this year and they would not face any problem in appearing for the Class-X exam under the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) scheme.

A Bench headed by Justice AR Dave, however, directed the government to let the willing students take the German exam this year and also ensure that facilities were in place for them to pursue German as an optional language from next year.

The Bench passed the order on petitions filed by parents of students affected by the mid-year switch over from German to Sanskrit.

Earlier, KVs had assured the SC that the CBSE had agreed not to debar any student from appearing for the Class-X exam for not completing the compulsory third language course. The CBSE granted this exemption as the students would be unable to complete the three-year course in Classes VI-VIII in view of the mid-session change.

The HRD ministry decided to re-introduce Sanskrit in KVs as the three-year contract with Germany for teaching German had expired. Further, the contract was illegal in the first place as the Constitution allowed only teaching of any of the notified Indian languages, it said.