Language row: State gets two weeks to answer

Government seeks more time to reply to the application

 
A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said the Karnataka government had been given two weeks to file its reply. Senior Advocate P P Rao, appearing for the State government, sought more time to file a comprehensive reply to the application filed by the private unaided schools’ association.

Advocate Mohan Katarke, appearing for the Association of Management of Government Recognised Private Schools, opposed the imposition of compulsory training in Kannada at the primary school level in private unaided schools.

On July 21, the apex court had declined to stay the Karnataka High Court ruling that quashed a State Government decision to make Kannada a compulsory medium of instruction in all schools. On a petition by some private school societies, the High Court had initiated contempt proceedings against the officials of the State Education Department for not allowing them to start English medium schools.

The three-judge bench observed that language should be of universal advantage to students. “Some get advantage in life because of language,’’ Justice Balakrishnan had said while brushing aside the arguments of the State Government.

Karnataka had sought a stay of the July 2, 2008, order of the high court so that private unaided and minority institutions did not admit students.

The petition said: “The State Government evolved an interim language policy on 19-06-1989 introducing the mother tongue as a medium of instruction from the first to the fourth standard.’’