The Kendriya Vidyalaya Kannada NEP mandate is facing significant failure in Karnataka, with parents and language activists raising alarms over its non-implementation. The National Education Policy’s three-language formula, which requires the teaching of a regional language, is being overlooked as many KVs in the state continue to offer only Hindi and English, leaving Kannada out of the curriculum.
Schools are attributing this gap to a shortage of qualified Kannada teachers and a lack of sufficient student demand. However, stakeholders argue that this directly violates the Kendriya Vidyalaya Kannada NEP guideline and undermines both the policy’s spirit and Karnataka’s own rules emphasizing mother-tongue education. They contend that students are being unjustly denied access to the state’s language while studying within its borders.
Amid these concerns, an unverified claim suggests only 16% of KVs teach regional languages, though the Ministry of Education has not released official data. In response, Kannada organizations are urging the Centre and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to immediately enforce the Kendriya Vidyalaya Kannada NEP provision, ensure Kannada is offered in all state KVs, and publish transparent, school-wise data on language offerings to uphold accountability and protect linguistic heritage.
