From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, June 15: A controversy has erupted over the circular reportedly issued by the Education Department officials for making knowledge of Hindi or English mandatory for selecting high school and PUC students for tours outside Karnataka under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programme to mark the country’s Independence.
With opposition parties quickly latching on to the issue and attacking both the State and Union Governments for ignoring Kannada knowing students, Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh has promptly clarified that neither the State or Union Governments have issued any such statements.
Nagesh has issued an official statement making it clear that the State or Central Governments have not issued any circular making knowledge of Hindi and English mandatory for selection of students for tours under the Amrit Mahotsav programme and has further clarified that the State Government will initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against the officials responsible for the confusion.
Under the programme, the All India Council of Terchnical Education (AICTE) will be the implementing agency and will bear all expenses for the travel of 750 students of high school or PUC including boys and girls. Each of the states and Union Territories by submitting a list of 25 students each, who will be paired with other students from other States and enabled travel of other states for five days excluding travel time to study the socio-economic conditions and familiarizes themselves.
State JDS leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has, in a series of tweets, lambasted the BJP ruled state and central governments for ignoring the Kannada speaking students even in selections to tour other States. The JD(S) leader refused to believe that such a circular or direction could not be issued without the minister’s knowledge despite the subsequent denial.