Language row: Germany hopeful of implementation of Supreme Court verdict

Germany welcomes the Supreme Court verdict on the German language issue in Kendriya Vidyalayas and expects implementation of it, said German Ambassador Michael Steiner.

“The court has, as you know in December last year, provided a very good solution for pragmatic outcome which would allow to continue to teach German in KV schools… Under the current situation I think what we need is the implementation of what the court has said and I am confident that exactly this will happen,” Mr. Steiner said in a media briefing on Wednesday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany.

A controversy had erupted in November 2014 after the Human Resource Development Ministry’s decision to remove German as the third language from the curriculum of Kendriya Vidyalayas and make Sanskrit compulsory.

Germany had raised the issue with the Centre at different levels even as parents of affected students approached the court for relief as it would negatively affect students’ academic performance.

The Supreme Court in its judgement had questioned the government on the timing of the move. The court asked the government to delay the implementation to the next academic year and leave the issue of learning German to the students.

German was added to the third language list following a MoU between the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and the German government in 2011. Hindu