Sanskrit to stay in KVs but no exam this year, Centre tells SC

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 5

The Centre today told the Supreme Court that there would be no change in the government’s stance on replacing German with Sanskrit as a third language for Classes VI to VIII of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), but the students would not be subjected to examination this year.

The decision had been taken to eliminate students’ burden arising from the re-introduction of Sanskrit mid-session and the SC’s suggestion for deferring the move till the next academic year, Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi told a Bench comprising Justices Anil Dave and Kurian Joseph.

The AG handed over to the Bench a letter from the Human Resource Development Ministry which stated that “as per the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) Board decision dated October 27, 2014, the students, who are at present studying German as a third language now have the choice either to study Sanskrit or any other modern Indian language of their choice as the third language in Classes VI to VIII. These children may continue their studies of German as an additional subject.”

“However, there will be no examinations in this academic session for those students studying Sanskrit or any other modern Indian language as the third language,” the letter said.

Rohatgi said the move to re-introduce Sanskrit after three years had been welcomed even by Parliament members.

Nevertheless, the Bench adjourned to December 8 for the further hearing on a batch of PILs by parents of affected students as the petitioners sought time to respond to the government proposal. On November 28, the Bench had told the Centre that thrusting a new language on students towards the fag end of the current academic session would put undue pressure on them.

There are about 1,000 KVs, also known as central schools, in the country and the order has impacted about 70,000 students.