New Delhi: Kendriya Vidyalaya has decided to discontinue teaching German as an alternative to Sanskrit as third language, a decision which HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said was taken in view of "national interest".
The Board of Governors (BoG) of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), headed by Irani, had in its meeting on October 27 decided that "teaching of German language as an option to Sanskrit will be discontinued herewith". German has been kept as an additional subject for students.
The decision is expected to affect about over 70,000 students across 500 Kendriya Vidyalayas from classes 6 to 8 who will be asked to switch from German to Sanskrit.
When asked a question on this regard, Irani said, "The decision has been taken in the interest of the nation." She said her Ministry will issue a statement later in the day to to put the facts forward in support of the decision as the reports in the media are creating "confusion" and "spreading panic among parents".
Sanskrit teachers had earlier moved Delhi High Court alleging that Kendriya Vidyalayas had introduced German as a third language in place of Sanskrit against the education policy.
Ministry officials said that an MoU signed between KVS and Goethe Institute-Max Mueller Bhawan in 2011 was also not referred to the Ministry at any stage.
On the other hand, NDA ally PMK has slammed the decision to replace German with Sanskrit and has urged the Centre to revoke its decision.
"Irani's diktat asking Kendriya Vidyalaya schools to stop teaching German as third language and instead tutor Sanskrit is a planned imposition of Sanskrit," PMK chief Ramadoss alleged.
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