Echoing a position earlier taken by the Maharashtra government, Karnataka’s chief minister on Monday declared the state’s support for a two-language policy, citing concerns over academic pressure and the perceived dominance of Hindi in schools.

The statement comes amidst growing calls from academics and education stakeholders to ease the linguistic burden on students. Currently, Karnataka follows a staggered language approach—two languages up to Grade 5, and a three-language formula thereafter.

Under the Karnataka Language Learning Act, 2015, schools are required to teach Kannada either as a first or second language. Most private unaided schools have adopted Kannada as the second language, with English typically chosen as the first. While nine language options are available for the third language, Hindi is often selected out of convenience. However, some educationists and parent groups argue this results in an implicit imposition of Hindi, sidelining other regional languages.

Critics have also pointed out that this trend marginalises mother tongues such as Tulu and Konkani, spoken by significant populations in the state. “Restricting the third-language choices to Hindi by default undermines linguistic diversity and ignores the cultural identities of many students,” said one education expert.

The move mirrors a similar decision by the BJP-led Maharashtra government, which had earlier repealed a directive to introduce Hindi between Grades 1 and 5. Karnataka’s Congress-led government has now signalled its intent to formulate a state-specific language education policy, independent of the National Education Policy (NEP), which currently mandates a three-language formula.

In voicing support for the two-language system, Karnataka’s leadership has aligned with a growing sentiment that education policies should reflect regional linguistic realities rather than enforce uniformity. The debate is likely to intensify as the state begins formal consultations to redefine its school language curriculum.

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