From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 2: A delegation led by the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairman Mukyamanthri Chandru on Tuesday called on Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal in Delhi and urged him to formulate a National Education Policy to address issues related to medium of instruction at the primary level of education.

In view of the classical language status conferred on Kannada in 2008 by the Centre, the delegation sought an assurance from the Minister for establishing Directorate of Kannada Studies in universities in other States.

Rajya Sabha member B Jayashree, BJP MP and Additional Special Representative to the State Government in New Delhi K B Shanappa, D V Rajaram, chairman, Karnataka Nataka Academy and Nagaraja Murthy, stage actor, were part of the delegation.

The delegation submitted a memorandum to Sibal and appealed to him to form the national education policy for medium of instruction in elementary education in the contest of globalisation.

''It is a fact that the mother tongue of the children should be the medium of instruction at the elementary education level," the delegation said in its memorandum demanding that the national education policy needs to be implemented throughout the country.

Referring to classical language to Kannada, the delegation also urged the Centre to release funds for assisting research work and setting up a classical research centre in Mysore.

The delegation is expected to meet Union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Khage and other ministers seeking formulation of a national employment policy.

The employment policy should envisage that C and D category jobs for local candidates in states and central government public undertakings in respective states, the memorandum said.

The delegation also met Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa in Delhi on Tuesday.

The delegation would be Delhi till August 5 and would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily and Union Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture Minister Kumari Shailja and submit memorandum to them demanding the necessity of formulating separate education and national employment policies.

Mukhyamantri Chandru said medium of instruction in elementary education has become a complex problem in almost all the states in the country after globalisation.

He said the primary education up to V standard should be imparted though the mother tongue/state language.

In case of more than 15 per cent of the population belonged to other language, the state language should be taught as a subject at the primary level, the KDA Chief said.

On employment policy, he said “job opportunities to the locals is the voice of the people being heard everywhere in the country. In order to address this justifiably a national employment policy is needed." The policy should envisage that C and D category jobs for local candidates in states and central government public undertakings in respective states.

The delegation would also urge the Centre to establish a National School of Drama on a 3-acre plot in the Bangalore University campus. Though the NSD has been functioning from the Guru Nanak Bhavan here, it has not been offering courses. The KDA chief demanded the Centre to provide autonomous status to NSD.