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<h1 style="margin-top:18px;margin-bottom:0px">German in Kendriya Vidyalayas Controversy – Little known facts</h1>
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<p class=""><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)">Nov 18, 2014</span></p><p class=""><a href="https://www.niticentral.com/author/kartikeya-tanna" style="color:rgb(17,105,175);text-decoration:none;line-height:24px">Kartikeya Tanna</a></p>
<p class=""><a href="https://www.niticentral.com/tag/german" style="color:rgb(255,255,255)">#german</a></p>
<p class=""><a href="https://www.niticentral.com/tag/kendriya-vidyalayas" style="color:rgb(255,255,255)">#Kendriya Vidyalayas</a></p>
<p class=""><a href="https://www.niticentral.com/tag/sanskrit" style="color:rgb(255,255,255)">#Sanskrit</a></p>
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<div id="attachment_245480" class=""><img class="" src="http://img.niticentral.com/2014/11/Kendriya-Vidyalaya-Sangathan.jpg" alt="German continues to be available in Kendriya Vidyalayas albeit as an additional subject or a hobby language. (Photo: official school website)" height="380" width="700"><p class=""><em>German
continues to be available in Kendriya Vidyalayas albeit as an
additional subject or a hobby language. (Photo: official school website)</em></p></div>
<p><strong>What is the ‘Three Language Policy’?</strong></p>
<p>Answer: The answer to this can be found in MoS Home Kiren Rijiju’s
reply in Parliament on questions raised (ironically) by two Congress MPs
(<a href="http://myneta.info/ls2014/candidate.php?candidate_id=1090" target="_blank">Shri D.K. Suresh</a> and <a href="http://myneta.info/ls2014/candidate.php?candidate_id=3477" target="_blank">Shri Thokchom Meinya</a>). Why I use the word ‘ironically’ – will explain shortly. In this <a href="http://mha1.nic.in/par2013/par2014-pdfs/ls-050814/LS%203790pdf" target="_blank">official note on MHA website</a>,
Mr. Rijiju has provided a detailed history of how the Three Language
Formula came into existence. The policy nowhere envisages providing a
foreign language even as an option to the three categories of languages
enumerated therein. Policies and frameworks issued in three separate
years – 1968, 1986 and 2005 (when the UPA was in power) confirm the
Three Language Policy.</p>
<p>Notably, in explaining the ineffective implementation of the three
language formula (Para 5), Mr. Rijiju noted that some
boards/institutions permitted even European/foreign languages like
Spanish, French and German in place of Hindi or Sanskrit – which is
clearly in violation of the policy.</p><div class="" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0px 0px 20px">
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<p><strong>How was German introduced as a language in Kendriya Vidyalayas?</strong></p>
<p>Answer: <a href="http://www.india.diplo.de/Vertretung/indien/en/__pr/Culture__News/Kendriya__Vidyalaya__MoU.html?archive=3255530" target="_blank">This report carried on the German Missions in India official website</a>
states that in 2009, KVS (Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan) decided to
offer German as an additional subject in the curriculum of Kendriya
Vidyalayas. Due to the success of this experiment, in 2011, KVS added
German as the third language in the ‘Three Language Policy’ as an option
available to students to choose in lieu of Sanskrit. This was done
through a letter No. F. 110332/7/2010/KVSHQ/Acad dated 05.01.2011, some
details of which are mentioned in <a href="http://kvsjaipur.nic.in/Documents/AAC/AACFeb.pdf" target="_blank">Para 2 of this document</a>.</p><div class="" style><div class=""> <div class=""><div class="" id="slider2" style>
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<p>The Three Language Policy does not envisage offering a foreign
language as an option to Sanskrit or another Indian language. Clearly,
this fell foul of the national policy. <em>It is useful to note that the
Three Language Policy did not mandate Sanskrit as the only choice, but,
in fact, students could opt for any other Modern Indian Language in
lieu of Sanskrit. The choice under the policy was (and is) between
Sanskrit and any other Modern Indian Language.</em></p>
<p><strong>What was the MoU in regard to introducing German in KVs?</strong></p>
<p>Answer: After KVS decided to have German as the third language that
could be opted if students did not want to choose Sanskrit, an MoU was
signed between KVS and Goethe Institute/Max Mueller Bhavan in the
presence of E. Ahamed, the then MoS, HRD. <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=76195" target="_blank">This Press Information Bureau official report</a> contains details of the same.</p>
<p>I used the word ‘ironically’ in the first question because the two
Congress MPs were asking MoS Home of the efficacy or otherwise of
implementation of the Three Language Policy when it was a UPA Government
Minister in whose presence the MoU introducing German as the third
language came about to be signed!</p>
<p>One of the points highlighted by an organisation by the name of
Sanskrit Shikshak Sangh in a PIL before the Delhi HC was that existing
teachers of KVs, particularly Sanskrit teachers, were asked to take
training in German to teach German to students. <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=76195" target="_blank">The PIB report on the MoU</a>
provides some confirmation (in bullet point No. 2) of this utterly
illogical step of asking teachers trained in one language to take
training in German and teach students of KVs.</p>
<p><strong>Has there been any independent evaluation of having Sanskrit
as a language choice in schools or is it just Modi government’s
so-called “RSS agenda”?</strong></p>
<p>Answer: The best answer to this comes in the form of a <a href="http://judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgs1.aspx?filename=11225" target="_blank">Supreme Court judgment dated 04.10.1994</a>
which goes into this issue at some length. In order to explain the
importance of Sanskrit, the SC judgment cites Central government
policies in 1968 and 1986, report of Sanskrit Commission appointed by
Central Government and words of Jawaharlal Nehru (as stating that
Sanskrit language and literature is the India’s “greatest treasure” and
“finest heritage”). <em>Notably, SC also debunks the argument of
Narsimha government’s Additional Solicitor General that offering
Sanskrit as an elective subject alone without also offering Arabic or
Persian will be “against secularism” </em>(Para 19). In the last
paragraph, SC directs the Central Board for Secondary Education to
include Sanskrit as an elective subject.</p>
<p>At the cost of repetition, it is critical to note that even the SC is <em>not </em>imposing Sanskrit as a mandatory choice. In fact, no one is. It was, is and will continue to be an elective subject.</p>
<p><strong>Has the Minister of HRD “replaced” German with Sanskrit or is this a media manufactured false argument ?</strong></p>
<p>Answer: Once again, this is an oversimplification of the actual
position. Firstly, the MoU had a term of three years and was expiring in
September earlier this year. Its renewal, even if temporary, could have
been construed as the Central Government’s endorsement of a continuing
violation. Yes, the students may likely end up suffering and one hopes
that the counselling organised by KVS due to this mid-way change is
helpful.</p>
<p>Moreover, German continues to be available in KVs albeit as an
additional subject or a hobby language. And, moreover, Sanskrit is only
one of many electives as I explained in the earlier question. The only
difference is that, instead of the option of choosing German in lieu of
Sanskrit, students can choose any Modern Indian Language as the Three
Language Policy requires. There is absolute clarity on this in Item No. 4
in the <a href="http://kvsangathan.nic.in/GeneralDocuments/ANN-10-11-14%282%29.PDF" target="_blank">minutes of the meeting between Ms. Smriti Irani and KVS</a>.</p>
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