2 months ago
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The Karnataka government’s determination not to grant marks for 3rd connection subjects, and alternatively springiness grades successful the State Board people 10 (SSLC) exams, was announced midway done the introspection process, taking each by surprise. It is seen politically arsenic an “anti-Hindi move”, but different argued to beryllium aimed astatine easing world unit connected students.
While galore person criticised the timing of the announcement, which created confusion, astir person welcomed the intent of the move. Only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have, successful principle, opposed it connected the grounds of it being “anti-Hindi”. Some of them person vowed to bring backmost the three-language look for exams erstwhile they are backmost successful power.
Announcing the decision, School Education and Literacy Minister S. Madhu Bangarappa explained that until past year, SSLC exams were conducted for a full of 625 marks crossed six subjects, of which 100 marks were allotted to the 3rd language. Henceforth, with the 3rd connection insubstantial being lone graded and not considered for the full marks, determination volition not beryllium a walk oregon neglect strategy for the 3rd language, and the caller full volition beryllium 525 for 5 subjects. However, the 3rd connection volition beryllium taught, and exams volition beryllium conducted arsenic earlier, helium said.
Most instrumentality Hindi
This caller regularisation volition use to 3rd languages specified arsenic Hindi (NCERT), Hindi, Kannada, English, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tulu, and Marathi. However, information for the twelvemonth 2025-26 shows that 93% of students person taken Hindi arsenic a 3rd language. Of the full 8,07,962 students who person registered themselves for SSLC exams this world year, 7,52,398 students person Hindi arsenic their 3rd language.
The Minister argued that the determination was aimed astatine easing unit connected students. A ample fig of students failing successful the 3rd language, which is predominantly Hindi successful the State Board schools, prompted this decision, helium said. Data from 2024-25 shows that of the full 1.64 lakh students who failed the SSLC exam, 1.46 lakh students failed the 3rd connection paper.
Mr. Bangarappa argued that fixed the data, it was evident that students were not comfy with the 3rd connection and it was a load connected them. Grading the paper, alternatively of scoring it, was different measurement to support the involvement of the students, helium argued.
He further said respective Kannada organisations had threatened to protestation implicit the issue, arguing Hindi was being “imposed” connected Kannadigas, and it was adversely affecting the aboriginal of the State’s students. The Kannada Development Authority and the State Education Policy (SEP) Commission, led by educationist Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat, person besides recommended adopting a two-language argumentation successful the State, giving up the existent three-language policy, helium pointed out.
Grading the third-language insubstantial and not counting it towards the full marks is present seen arsenic a archetypal measurement towards a two-language policy. After the SEP Commission submitted its study to the State Government successful 2025, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah voiced his enactment for adopting a two-language look successful the State. However, the authorities is yet to instrumentality the SEP study successful full.
The contested TLF
The Three Language Formula (TLF) has ever been profoundly contested successful non-Hindi-speaking States, much truthful successful States that person had governments led by determination parties. However, successful caller years, adjacent different States ruled by some Congress and the BJP are accelerated catching up.
The All India Council for Education recommended the adoption of the TLF successful September 1956. The past Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and others of the Congress supported the argumentation to beforehand a “national nexus language” which they said would foster nationalist unity. This argumentation was archetypal adopted successful the National Education Policy - 1968 by the Kothari Commission, arsenic per which TLF includes the survey of a modern Indian language, preferably 1 of the Southern languages, isolated from Hindi and English, successful the Hindi-speaking States, and Hindi on with the determination connection and English successful the non-Hindi-speaking States. This argumentation was expected to beforehand nationalist integration, multilingual competence, and taste exchange. NEP-2020 has besides emphasised the implementation of TLF.
However, this argumentation was powerfully opposed by Tamil Nadu, which stuck to a two-language argumentation of Tamil and English. Likewise, astir Hindi-speaking States person not implemented the three-language look successful missive and spirit. Most States bash not thatch a modern Indian language, similar immoderate South Indian language, arsenic their 3rd language. They mostly thatch Sanskrit, Urdu, or, successful immoderate cases adjacent overseas languages. However, since 1968, the TLF was implemented successful the State without immoderate opposition.
Discontent implicit the look archetypal arose successful the 1970s, but implicit Sanskrit and not Hindi, successful Karnataka. Railing against the prevalence of Sanskrit being chosen arsenic the archetypal connection astatine the precocious schoolhouse level, determination was a request for primacy for Kannada successful schoolhouse education, which was addressed during Devraj Urs’s tenure by moving Sanskrit into the 3rd connection group, from the archetypal connection group.
However, this was reversed by his successor R. Gundu Rao, besides a Congress Chief Minister, starring to beardown opposition. To code this, the authorities appointed a committee nether V.K. Gokak, which recommended Kannada beryllium mandated arsenic the lone archetypal connection successful the State’s education. Demanding its implementation, a ample question led by histrion Dr. Rajkumar took off, popularly known arsenic “Gokak Chaluvali” successful aboriginal 1980s. However, the Gokak Report has ne'er been implemented successful afloat till date.
Between 1968 and 1990, the 3rd connection insubstantial carried lone 50 marks and was not mandatory to pass. However, implicit time, 13 marks were fixed arsenic the passing marks. Further, successful 1990, with reforms successful SSLC exams, the 3rd connection became much formalised. The insubstantial was present marked for 100 marks similar different subjects, with 35 arsenic the passing marks and it was mandatory. Hindi emerged arsenic the astir wide chosen 3rd connection owed to the availability of teachers, a wide bent towards towing the nationalist line, among different reasons.
“After making it mandatory to people astatine slightest 35 marks successful the Third Language paper, mostly Hindi, determination was unit connected the students, and the fig of those who failed the exam increased. Among those who failed successful the 3rd language, a bulk were children from agrarian areas,” observed Prof. Purushottama Bilimale, Chairman, Kannada Development Authority.
Resistance to Hindi
Historically, the Kannada question has articulated its absorption to Sanskrit, Tamil successful confederate Karnataka, and English successful the discourse of the mean of acquisition successful acquisition much than Hindi. However, station 2000s, the Kannada question has progressively articulated its basal against “Hindi imposition”. It has demanded that banking and different lawsuit services, which are presently offered lone successful English and Hindi, beryllium made disposable successful Kannada arsenic well.
It has opposed conducting each cardinal recruitment exams lone successful Hindi and English, thereby giving an undue vantage to Hindi speakers. This led to respective cardinal recruitment exams being held successful determination languages arsenic well. Even recently, successful March, Kannada organisations forced South Western Railways to cancel an exam being held lone successful Hindi and English.
A prohibition connected dubbing contented from different languages into Kannada, imposed to support the Kannada movie manufacture successful 1960s, was opposed connected the crushed that arsenic a user a Kannadiga had the close to devour each contented successful Kannada only, turning the earlier statement connected its head.
An influx of migration from the Hindi-speaking States into Bengaluru station the IT roar of the 1990s has besides sharpened this articulation. This is further strengthened by the arguments of confederate States being “punished” for colonisation power compared to their bluish counterparts, affecting them successful taxation devolution and the upcoming delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. Since the BJP is seen arsenic “promoting” Hindi much aggressively than Congress, which was doing truthful successful the aboriginal post-independence years, absorption to Hindi has besides taken wide governmental connotations.
Opposition to teaching Hindi successful schools besides stems from the reluctance of cardinal committee schools, that person mushroomed successful ample numbers particularly successful municipality centres similar Bengaluru, successful teaching the determination connection of the State, Kannada. This has created a ample fig of section students proficient successful Hindi and English, but not successful their parent tongue/regional language, drafting the ire of many. After the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act, 2022, mandated teaching Kannada arsenic a subject, galore of these schools are teaching Kannada arsenic a 3rd language.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been pursuing a 3-language look up to people 8 and 2-languages successful classes 9 and 10. In these schools usually English (mandatory) and Hindi/Regional languages are the archetypal and 2nd languages. For 3rd languages (till Class 8), often Sanskrit/regional/foreign connection are taken. In Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) schools, 3rd connection is mandatory till people 8. Formal exams volition beryllium conducted by schoolhouse till people 8. In people 10, 2nd connection is committee assessed, 3rd connection usually discontinued.
DSEL Minister Madhu Bangarappa has argued that the State Board was besides adopting a akin attack to the 3rd language, and was not wholly new. “Two-language look is successful unit successful States similar Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Grading is being fixed alternatively of marks for 3rd languages successful galore States, including cardinal program schools,” helium pointed out.
However, BJP leaders of the State, including R. Ashok, Leader of Opposition successful the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, person not lone opposed the government’s determination to not see a 3rd connection for scoring successful SSLC exams, but person vowed to bring it backmost erstwhile they travel to power.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has besides sharply opposed it arsenic an “anti-Hindi” move, prompting Kannada organisations to protestation against it. However, interestingly, successful Maharashtra, present ruled by the BJP successful conjugation with a faction of Shiv Sena, a determination Hindutva party, a contention arose erstwhile the authorities tried to enforce a three-language look astatine the superior level. Following a backlash, a two-language look continues determination till people 5 and three-language look later.
“The decades-old request of Kannadigas has been fulfilled. The authorities should afloat instrumentality the two-language formula. Kannada should beryllium made mandatory arsenic the archetypal connection astatine each levels of education. The licences of backstage schools that interruption this should beryllium cancelled,” demanded T.A. Narayana Gowda, president, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike.
However, teachers, parents, and students are confused astir the suddenness of the decision. “It is disappointing that the authorities announced this determination with lone 5 days near for the completion of the SSLC exam. Many students person called maine astir this and questioned whether it is indispensable to constitute the exam since Hindi marks are not considered for the results,” said a Hindi teacher of a authorities school.
A pupil who wrote the exam this clip said helium was amazed and disquieted erstwhile helium came to cognize the grading of Hindi. “I was bully astatine Hindi. Since Maths and Science were a spot difficult, I thought I could people much with Hindi marks. Now I americium disquieted that my SSLC people whitethorn travel down,” helium said.
Kannada arsenic 3rd language
There are concerns implicit what would hap successful schools wherever Kannada is being taught arsenic a 3rd language, particularly successful 5,800 linguistic number schools and besides those who person opted for Sanskrit arsenic their archetypal language. Data shows determination are 11,483 students registered for SSLC exams successful 2025-26, with Kannada arsenic their 3rd language, compared to 7.52 lakh students with Hindi arsenic their 3rd language.
With the authorities present introducing grading for the 3rd connection paper, determination are concerns that it whitethorn hamper Kannada learning of these students. Mr. Bangarappa said a abstracted argumentation volition beryllium implemented aft discussing with experts to guarantee that Kannada does not endure from immoderate occupation owed to the inclusion of 3rd languages successful grading. What this argumentation volition entail is yet to beryllium articulated by the government.
