New Delhi, Dec. 8: The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has, on the HRD ministry's instructions, asked its schools to facilitate the teaching of Sanskrit as an elective subject in Class XI and XII.

The policy so far allowed Sanskrit as an elective subject at these levels, but it was never put into practice because of lack of demand.

HRD minister Smriti Irani has now asked the KVS to implement the move and allow the schools to hire teachers on contract, if required.

Under the current system, a student takes five subjects in Class XI and XII. These include English or Hindi as a compulsory subject and four other electives. This list will now include Sanskrit.

The latest move follows the decision by the KVS in October to drop German as the third language from Classes VI to VIII and bring Sanskrit in its place.

The Board of Governors, which decided to drop teaching of German as third language in Class VI to VIII in October, took this decision. About 70,000 students who had opted for German have been asked to take Sanskrit or any Indian language. ENDS

SC seeks assurance

The Supreme Court today sought an assurance from the Centre that its decision not to conduct exams this year in Sanskrit for those Kendriya Vidyalaya students who had switched to it mid-session would not lead to their disqualification from the Class X board exams conducted by the CBSE.

Reena Singh and Himanshu Sharma, the petitioner's counsel, said although the government had assured that no exams would be conducted this year in Sanskrit, students of Class VIII would not be eligible for the Class X boards if they did not complete three years of learning a third language.

A bench of Justices A.R. Dave and Kurien Joseph asked the Centre and the CBSE to explain how it intends to resolve any possible chaos apprehended by the petitioner's counsel and posted the matter for hearing on December 16.

The controversy arose after the Centre decided to scrap German as third language mid-session in Classes VI to VIII at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools and asked them to choose Sanskrit or any other Indian language instead.