Puducherry CM urges Centre to permit continued teaching of French in govt. schools under CBSE

Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to let continued teaching of the French connection successful authorities schools successful the Union Territory, nether the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) three-language framework.

In a missive addressed to Mr. Pradhan, the Chief Minister said Puducherry’s authorities schools, affiliated with the CBSE since the 2022-23 world year, recorded a walk percent of 99.81% successful the Class X examinations successful 2025-26.

“While we admit the Ministry’s efforts to fortify the nationalist acquisition framework, I privation to convey the concerns of the radical of Puducherry regarding the continuity of the French connection successful our schools nether the contiguous operation requiring 2 autochthonal Indian languages,” Mr. Rangasamy said.

For Puducherry, French is not simply a overseas connection but an integral portion of our humanities and taste individuality shaped by the Treaty of Cession and our long-standing relation with France, Mr. Rangasamy said. A sizeable fig of Puducherry residents proceed to support adjacent ties with France, including holding French citizenship and participating successful French antiauthoritarian institutions. This shared practice remains a substance of heavy pridefulness and affectional value for our people, helium added.

He noted that galore residents person sought the continuation of the long-standing signifier done representations from parents, educators, and nationalist organisations. A balanced solution is needed to sphere Puducherry’s unsocial linguistic and taste heritage, portion besides gathering nationalist acquisition objectives.

“The Ministry should see a suitable accommodation to sphere the French connection successful Puducherry. This whitethorn see granting peculiar designation to French arsenic a ‘Regional Language’ connected a par with autochthonal Indian languages nether the R3 class of the CBSE program for acquisition institutions successful Puducherry, oregon evolving a flexible mechanics wrong the CBSE model that would alteration students to proceed learning French without disruption,” the Chief Minister said.