Karnataka HC Sets 3-Week Deadline for State in PIL on Mandatory Kannada in CBSE, ICSE Schools
Bengaluru, July 11, 2025: The Karnataka High Court has given the state government a three-week deadline to submit its objections to a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the mandatory teaching of Kannada in CBSE and CISCE schools. The PIL, brought by parents of children in these institutions, questions the validity of the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, Kannada Language Learning Rules, 2017, and the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Issue of No Objection Certificate and Control) Rules, 2022. Acting Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao and Justice C M Joshi have set the deadline, noting that the government has not yet filed an objection statement in the two years since the petition was first submitted by Somashekar C & Others.
According to Live Law report, the court expressed its displeasure with the government's inaction, saying, "For two years you have not done anything, gear up your machinery, otherwise we will consider the application for interim relief." The petition argues that these laws adversely impact the right of students to choose their first, second, and third languages, which could negatively affect their academic performance and future opportunities. Additionally, teachers of other languages face potential livelihood issues due to these enactments.
The petitioners are not against Kannada being taught in schools but are concerned about the compulsory nature of the implementation, which they claim violates constitutional principles. They have also cited a previous order by a coordinate bench stating that there is no provision for language imposition under the National Education Policy 2020. The High Court previously stayed Government Orders that sought to enforce Kannada as a mandatory subject in degree courses.
The PIL seeks the court to declare Rule 6(1) of the NOC Rules unconstitutional and inapplicable to CBSE and CISCE schools, or to rule that Rule 6(2) is unconstitutional and the entire Act and Rules do not apply to these schools. The parents are seeking interim relief to halt the enforcement of these laws until the case is resolved. However, the bench has decided not to issue any interim orders until the state government presents its objections.
Keywords: Karnataka High Court, mandatory Kannada, PIL, CBSE schools, CISCE schools, Kannada Language Learning Act, constitutional rights, Somashekar C, NEP 2020, Karnataka Education Act