Bengaluru, April 21 (IANS) Karnataka BJP has welcomed the High Court verdict upholding the marks system for Class 10 for Hindi and other third-language subjects. The party has further chided that it is a major embarrassment for the Congress government.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, senior BJP leader, Legislative Council Opposition Chief Whip N. Ravikumar stated that the High Court of Karnataka has delivered a verdict stating that marks must be awarded for Hindi language, which has resulted in a major embarrassment for the state government, the Education Minister, and the Education Department.
He said that decisions were being taken in a manner “like a mad king” when it came to education. About a month ago, the Karnataka government had taken a decision regarding the Hindi examination. It stated that whether a student passes or fails in Hindi would not be taken seriously.
They had also said that students could choose to write the exam or not write it, and that marks would not be awarded, only grading would be given, the Education Minister had reportedly stated.
Students and parents who had prepared seriously had insisted that the examination should be conducted properly. However, the government had maintained that Kannada is first, English is second, and Hindi is third, and therefore it would not be taken seriously, he said.
The matter was challenged in court by several individuals. Now the judgment has been delivered. Students have studied and prepared seriously, and they should not be insulted. Therefore, the court has directed that marks must be awarded instead of grading, he explained.
He said the High Court has effectively overturned the government’s decision. The BJP welcomes this judgment, he added, noting that it has brought relief and happiness to students and parents.
He further urged that the government should, at least now, abandon such “irresponsible decisions.”
In a setback to the Congress-led government, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued directions to the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) to award marks for the Hindi language instead of grades for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) (Class 10) Hindi subject from the current academic year.
The High Court bench, headed by Justice E.S. Indiresh, quashed and disposed of the government’s petition seeking a review of the High Court order on awarding marks for the SSLC. It is noted that the State challenged the correctness of the earlier order in this regard by filing a review petition.
Notably, the State had also challenged the correctness of a remark in the April 15 ruling that “any subsequent modification” to the rules would violate Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
The High Court also directed that marks be awarded for SSLC Hindi in the 2025–26 academic year and clarified that this order would apply to all third-language subjects in the SSLC examination.
The bench further remarked that nearly 83 per cent of students are currently passing Pre-University Course (Class 12) examinations.
It added that if the intention is to pass everyone, the examination might as well be cancelled altogether.
The court noted that while the government is free to take appropriate steps after framing the rules, it is improper to change the evaluation system before such rules are formulated.
–IANS
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