Karnataka Language Mandate: Court Challenges Compulsory Kannada in Schools

The Karnataka High Court has ordered the state to respond to a PIL challenging the mandatory Kannada instruction in CBSE and CISCE schools. The petition argues this mandate infringes on students' rights and teachers' livelihoods, questioning the legality of related legislative provisions.

The Karnataka High Court has instructed the state government to submit its objections within three weeks concerning a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the compulsory Kannada language instruction in CBSE and CISCE-affiliated schools across the state.

A division bench led by Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi delivered the order while addressing a PIL filed in 2023 by Somashekar C and others. These are parents whose children study in non-state board schools.

The petitioners question the constitutional validity of the legislative provisions that mandate Kannada teaching, claiming it infringes on students' rights and affects teachers who specialize in other languages. Despite a pending case for two years, they indicate the state's objections are yet to be filed.

(With inputs from agencies.)