The Supreme Court Friday issued notices to the Centre and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan on replacing German with Sanskrit as a third language in the centrally run Kendriya Vidyalayas in the mid-session of the current academic year.
The apex court bench headed by Justice Anil R. Dave issued notice on a plea by one V.S. Ramanathan who had challenged the government decision to replace German with Sanskrit in the mid-session.
The matter will be heard Nov 28.
The government's decision to drop German as a third language has created an uproar including queries from the German authorities.
German was introduced in Kendriya Vidyalayas following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Goethe Institute of Max Mueller Bhavan.
The Centre's decision to scrap German in Kendriya Vidyalayas has affected over 70,000 students and also put a questiom mark over the jobs of 700 teachers teaching German in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has described the MoU as being violative of the constitution. She has said that "As per Schedule 8 (of the Constitution), 22 languages were available which did not include German. This MoU was presenting German as third language."
