Bengaluru, April 6 Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa and the Chief Secretary of the Government of Karnataka, urging the continuation of the three-language formula in schools and opposing the replacement of marks with a grading system for Hindi.
It may be noted that starting from the 2025–26 academic year, the Karnataka government has changed the Class 10 (SSLC) Hindi third-language evaluation from a marks system to a grading system (A to D). Hindi remains mandatory to study but will no longer count towards the total, reducing the overall board examination marks to 525.
In his letter, Horatti stated that language is a key medium for expressing emotions and noted that psychological studies have established that learning multiple languages enhances brain development. He pointed out that the three-language formula has been in place in the country since 1961 to promote multilingualism and national integration.
Citing language experts, he said that learning multiple languages benefits students and does not cause any disadvantage. According to him, the three-language formula enables effective communication and also helps students pursue education and employment opportunities in other states. He added that the approach aligns with the values of fraternity and linguistic diversity enshrined in the Constitution.
Horatti warned that implementing a two-language policy could lead to communication difficulties due to limited language proficiency. He also noted that several elected representatives from the state face challenges in Parliament due to lack of proficiency in Hindi.
Raising concerns over employment, he questioned the future of around 15,000 teachers working in government and aided high schools, along with Hindi teachers in unaided institutions who already earn low salaries. He cautioned that many aspiring teachers with B.Ed. qualifications could be left unemployed and said that replacing marks with grades would be unfair to students.
He further pointed out that even Union Ministers have had to appoint teachers to learn Hindi, underlining the importance of language proficiency. He argued that discontinuing the three-language formula could deprive future generations of opportunities.
Highlighting academic performance, Horatti said that more than 17,909 students in the state have scored 100 marks in Hindi in the SSLC examinations, a figure higher than in any other subject. He added that Hindi has contributed significantly to improving overall student results.
He expressed concern that the implementation of the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) in place of the third language has already affected the status of Hindi. According to him, this could reduce students’ interest in learning additional languages, affect teachers’ motivation, and weaken awareness of linguistic diversity and culture.
With the third-language examination scheduled for March 31, 2026, Horatti warned that the decision could negatively impact students’ mental well-being. He suggested that instead of replacing Hindi, the NSQF subject could be introduced as an additional subject so that students can benefit from both.
Referring to the Kothari Commission (1964–1966), he said it had recommended the three-language formula as a key policy for promoting multilingualism and national integration, which was later adopted in the 1968 National Policy on Education.
Horatti urged the government to continue the three-language formula, protect Hindi, and safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of teachers. He also called for the continuation of the existing marks system instead of grading and requested that no changes be made to the educational framework while maintaining the importance of Kannada and English in administration.
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