New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today said the Centre should put off to the next academic year its decision to introduce Sanskrit as the third language in schools. It has asked for a response in one week.
"It is difficult for students mid-session," the court told the Centre, which recently dropped German as a third language from nearly 1,000 Kendriya Vidyalayas or central government schools across the country and replaced it with Sanskrit.
Nearly 70,000 students are affected by the government order. The academic year ends in March, which means these students would have to be tested in Sanskrit despite not having studied it earlier. German, the Centre says, will only be learnt as a "hobby".
The government has said that students will immediately be taught and tested on a beginners-level course in Sanskrit, and will therefore not be at a disadvantage since they will not be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the language.
A group of 20 parents have taken the government to court.
Today, the court suggested that German can remain a third language and Sanskrit can be introduced as an additional one for this session.
Justice Anil Dave, who heads the bench hearing the case, said, "As an individual I am for Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the mother language of all our languages." But students, the judge said, must not be affected.
Earlier this month, Education Minister Smriti Irani said that German will no longer be the third language that must be studied along with English and Hindi for students of Class 6-8.
In 2011, an agreement was signed for German to be taught at Kendriya Vidyalayas with Max Mueller Bhavans or Goethe Institutes, which are tasked by the German government to propagate the country's culture abroad. Ms Irani says that contract was illegal as it violates the country's education policy.
"It is difficult for students mid-session," the court told the Centre, which recently dropped German as a third language from nearly 1,000 Kendriya Vidyalayas or central government schools across the country and replaced it with Sanskrit.
Nearly 70,000 students are affected by the government order. The academic year ends in March, which means these students would have to be tested in Sanskrit despite not having studied it earlier. German, the Centre says, will only be learnt as a "hobby".
The government has said that students will immediately be taught and tested on a beginners-level course in Sanskrit, and will therefore not be at a disadvantage since they will not be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the language.
A group of 20 parents have taken the government to court.
Today, the court suggested that German can remain a third language and Sanskrit can be introduced as an additional one for this session.
Justice Anil Dave, who heads the bench hearing the case, said, "As an individual I am for Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the mother language of all our languages." But students, the judge said, must not be affected.
Earlier this month, Education Minister Smriti Irani said that German will no longer be the third language that must be studied along with English and Hindi for students of Class 6-8.
In 2011, an agreement was signed for German to be taught at Kendriya Vidyalayas with Max Mueller Bhavans or Goethe Institutes, which are tasked by the German government to propagate the country's culture abroad. Ms Irani says that contract was illegal as it violates the country's education policy.
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