Ten-year-old takes on Karnataka's language policy in the High Court

A 10-year-old student from a school affiliated to ICSE moved the Karnataka High Court, questioning the Kannada Language Learning Act, on the ground that it violates Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, and is contrary to the National Education Policy, 2020, as it does not exempt institutions affiliated to CBSE and ICSE.  

Under the Kannada Language Learning Act, whcih was passed in 2015, the state had made it compulsory to include the language in schools, regardless of the board. The order has faced opposition from central board students.

Justice R Devdas issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Department of Education, Government of Karnataka, and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, after hearing a petition filed by Keertan Suresh, a Class IV student at Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in the High Court

It was contended in the petition that Kannada is to be taught as a compulsory language in all classes, in all schools in Karnataka.