There is no mention of any compulsory language in the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, the Union Government clarified to the High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday.
The clarification was given in response to the court’s direction to the Centre to make its stand clear with respect to the issue of State Government’s decision of making Kannada a compulsory language for undergraduate courses from the academic year 2021–22 under the “pretext” of implementing (NEP)-2020.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, taking note of the Centre’s stand, adjourned further hearing on the petitions filed by Samskrita Bharati (Karnataka) Trust and others, as the State Advocate-General was not present in the court.
Earlier, Additional Solicitor General of India M.B. Naragund, appearing for the Centre, told the Bench the State Government may have to re-examine its policy on Kannada in UG courses in view of the clarification given by the Centre on NEP-2020.
Local/Indian languages
“NEP-2020 provides for moving towards a higher education system consisting of large, multi-disciplinary universities and colleges, with at least one in or near every district, and with more higher education institutions across India that offer medium of instruction or programme in local/Indian languages,” the Ministry of Education has stated in its affidavit filed before the court.
“Under the title, ‘promotion of Indian languages, arts and culture,’ NEP-2020 states that higher education institution will use mother tongue/local language as medium of instruction and/or offer bilingually,” the Centre has stated while making it clear that NEP-2020 has been designed to achieve a comprehensive educational system for providing easy access to citizens keeping in mind the aspirations of local, regional and national levels.
The NEP-2020 has to be understood, interpreted and implemented keeping in mind broad objectives enshrined in the Constitution, the Centre said. As per NEP-2020, higher education institutions may offer medium of instruction or programmes in local/Indian languages.
The petitioners have questioned the legality of the Government Orders (GOs) issued on August 7, 2021, and September, 15, 2021, making Kannada one of the two languages to be compulsorily studied in undergraduate courses irrespective of the languages students have studied up to Class XII, the State from which they hail from, and their mother tongue or the regional language.
The petitioners have also contended that making Kannada compulsory for UG courses was contrary to the objective of NEP-2020, which offers a choice-based system to promote inclusivity and access to education.
