Adding a further rider to the Government’s decision to waive off Sanskrit examination for Kendriya Vidyalaya students this year, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that all facilities must be provided to students in these schools who wish to complete the German course as an optional language.
Ending the controversy resulting out of a decision of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) to replace German with Sanskrit as third language in Classes VI-VIII mid-stream, the apex court recorded an undertaking from the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to this effect and disposed a PIl filed by one of the aggrieved parents.
The Bench of Justices AR Dave, Kurian Joseph and Arun Mishra struggled to find a way out as the petitioner’s counsel Reena Singh was not willing to accept the Government’s proposal to waive off Sanskrit examination this year. Wondering why students of KV Sangathan were discriminated and deprived to learn German compared to other private schools, Singh demanded that students of Class VIII who have studied German for more than two years must be permitted to complete the course and take examination.
Rohatgi informed Court that there was no impediment to study German as it was still being offered as optional subject. Singh complained that KV school management had suspended teaching of German complaining they had no faculty or staff. The bench directed Centre, “All facilities for teaching optional subject shall be made available in all KV Sangathan schools.” It reiterated, “Students are free to learn German or any other language as optional subject.”
About Sanskrit, the bench maintained that except for not giving examination, students of Class VI-VIII will have to study the subject as part of their curriculum as third subject.