‘Urge students in north tolearn South Indian languages’

CHENNAI: Describing as “pivotal” the three-language formula of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which mandates a curriculum of English and two Indian languages,

Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha

vice-president

H Hanumanthappa

has called for north Indian schools to also encourage its students to opt to learn south Indian languages.

Speaking at the 79th convocation of Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in the city on Sunday, Hanumanthappa expressed concern over the “displeasure” among states about the implementation of the three-language formula.

“All states have changed their curriculum and introduced Hindi as a compulsory language, along with English and a vernacular language,” he said.

The formula prescribes that in states like Tamil Nadu, in which Tamil is a compulsory language, students would also have to learn Hindi. But the Centre has maintained that states across the country, except Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, are currently implementing the three-language formula and it has no intention of changing this.

But Hanumanthappa said students in states in north India who study English and Hindi have a third language option, which could be any of the south Indian languages under the CBSE curriculum.

“The sabha is willing to send as many language (Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam) teachers to Hindi-speaking states according to their requirements,” he said, stating that it is time for Hindi-speaking states to rise to the occasion and “follow the three-language formula in spirit”.

Speaking on the occasion, MP and former Bihar and Jharkhand governor Justice Rama Jois also said students must learn vernacular languages. “It boosts national unity,” he said.