Govt to file review plea on medium of instruction

Law Minister T B Jayachandra on Wednesday said that the government had no other option but to approach the Supreme Court with a review petition with regard to the medium of instruction in primary schools.

Jayachandra said that he had gone through the apex court judgement, striking down the State’s decision of making it mandatory for teaching in mother tongue or Kannada from class one to four, and that there was no option but to seek a review of the case.

“We will have a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to chart out the next course of action, on May 9,” said Jayachandra.

On the view that the State did not make a convincing representation of its case in the Supreme Court, Jayachandra said that it was baseless.

The minister said that he had reviewed the government’s arguments and that there was no evidence of the State’s version not being placed forcefully.

On whether the government would try to put a cap on the number of private schools in Karnataka not teaching Kannada or in mother tongue, the minister said that there was evidence of such schools functioning without teaching the language, but the government’s hands were tied in the matter.