Sanskrit row turns diplomatic

New Delhi: With the ongoing controversy over removal of German as the third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani on Friday strongly defended the government decision and clarified that the existing arrangement was in violation of the three-language formula.

The matter also took a diplomatic turn, with the German government raising the issue with India and hoping that the Modi government would take a “pragmatic approach” on the issue so that “German will continue to be taught at KVs”.

Ms Irani said, “An MoU was signed by KV in 2011 making German the third language, which was violation of our national curriculum framework. It violated the constitutional right of the child and the state. It is not about promotion of Sanskrit but about safeguarding constitutional rights.”