The Karnataka state government has announced that students in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations will receive marks for their third language subjects, not grades. This decision comes after a high court directive blocked the state's last-minute shift in evaluation policy.
According to School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa, the government will comply with the ruling for the current academic year but may seek legal approval to introduce a grading system in the future.
The dispute arose after the government announced a grading system for the third language, which led to confusion among students and parents across the state. The high court ordered that students must be assessed under the system in place at the commencement of the academic year, rejecting the government's attempt to revise its earlier order.
The revised system applies to several languages, including Hindi, Kannada, English, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tulu, and Marathi. The issue has added to a wider debate over language policy in Karnataka, with Kannada groups raising concerns about the role of Hindi in education.
