German vs Sanskrit controversy created deliberately: Irani

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said a controversy over German being replaced in KV schools has been created "deliberately" and asserted that its continuation as third language would have been a violation of the Constitution.

"The schools were teaching German as the third language which was in violation of the Constitution, knowing that German is not a third language. We or the Ministry or KVs could not have renewed the contract.... I have taken oath under Indian Constitution and I will abide by it," Irani told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

According to the Ministry, the MoU signed between Kendriya Vidyalaya or central schools and Goethe Institute-Max Mueller Bhawan in 2011 to offer German as the third language was also not referred to the ministry at any stage.

Irani said as far as the affected students of class VI to VIII are concerned, KVs have started providing them counselling. Students will have the option of picking any Indian language as the third language instead of Sanskrit.

"If a student wishes to take Tamil as the third language, we will ensure a Tamil teacher is provided," she said.

The Human Resource Development Ministry had last week decided to replace German with Sanskrit as the third language in the KVs, arguing that the existing arrangement was against the three-language formula and "violated" the national policy on education.

The decision is expected to affect over 70,000 students across 500 KVs from classes 6 to 8.

A communication by KVs released on November 18 said that grades obtained by students of Class VI to VIII in German as third language so far would be considered in compilation of overall annual assessment of the third language.