It is not unreasonable to argue that learning the local language will help students communicate better
For several decades, successive governments in Karnataka have attempted to make it compulsory for students to learn Kannada as a subject. Such efforts have faced opposition from some quarters and a long-standing legal battle.
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government order
The issue has come to the fore again in August 2021 with the government issuing an Order (GO) stating that undergraduate students should learn Kannada as one of the two languages from the 2021-2022 academic year. The state government has argued that this is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, which states that “in order to preserve and promote culture, one must preserve and promote the languages of the culture”. It also states that there is a need to integrate learning of Indian languages into school and higher education at all levels. After several stakeholders pointed out that learning the language could be challenging for students studying in other countries, states or Karnataka but not learning Kannada in school, the state government issued a revised order. It said such students would have to learn Kannada as a “functional language” for only one semester, while those who learned Kannada in school would have to study it for two years.
However, it The matter is now before the Karnataka High Court, along with the Sanskrit Bharati (Karnataka) Trust and three other institutions are challenging the GOs. They have argued that the NEP does not specify any mandatory language for higher education, and that the GO removes the choice-based credit system provided in the NEP to promote inclusivity and access. The Higher Education Department of Karnataka states that the move helps students in their day-to-day communication. Such a system has already been successfully implemented in engineering and medical colleges. Although the students of professional courses initially showed some resistance, they were convinced to learn Kannada functionally, which has proved beneficial.
a brief History
Karnataka has a very poor history as far as language learning is concerned. The state government suffered a setback in May 2014 after the Supreme Court quashed its 1994 language policy. The language policy mandated that the medium of instruction for students in the lower primary classes should be in the regional language or mother tongue. After losing this battle, the state government introduced the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, which mandates that Kannada should be the first or second language for students in schools. Most schools have started teaching Kannada as a subject, although some schools affiliated to the Central Board have done so only as a third language.
The largest movement to promote Kannada learning dates back to the 1980s, when the Gokak Committee submitted its report in 1981, which recommended, among other things, the inclusion and primacy of Kannada in schools. The delay in implementing it gave rise to a larger movement, which still resonates with many. The state government has also used some points of this report in the present context, to argue that the promotion of a regional language cannot be seen as an imposition. It has also cited provisions of the NEP to argue that the state can have its say in the choice of any one language. The choice of choosing another language is up to the student. In fact, a student can opt for another language under the open electives category.
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It is not unreasonable to argue that learning the local language will help students develop a sense of belonging and communicate better. However, a lot now hangs over the outcome of the case pending in the Karnataka High Court.
tanu.kulkarni@thehindu.co.in
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