Karnataka: The state government on Friday announced that from the current academic year, SSLC students will not be awarded marks for the third language subjects like Hindi, Urdu, Arabic and others.
Instead, they will receive grades such as A, B, C, and D for these languages.
Announcing the decision, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said, "Exam will be conducted for the third language, but marks won't be awarded, adding marks secured in third languages will not be considered while calculating the overall percentage. The percentage will be calculated for 525 instead of the existing 625."
The decision will be applicable to the students who are appearing for the SSLC exams. The third language exam will be held on March 31.
The decision was taken based on demands by pro-Kannada organisations that urged the government to ensure that Hindi is not "imposed" on students, considering the number of students failing in SSLC exams because of Hindi, added the minister.
According to the education department, though there are other subjects like Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and Arabic, a majority of students opt for Hindi as the third language.
The education minister further said that there will be no changes in the teaching methodology. "The third language will not ignored. The decision, however, will reduce exam stress on students," he added.
An official order on shifting to the grading system of the third languages will be issued by March 31, the minister said.
Data from the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) reveals that in 2025, as many as 1.64 lakh students failed in the third language and out of that 1.48 lakh had opted for Hindi.
The minister stated that several states have already introduced a grading system and some have also shifted to a two-language policy. "I will not talk about the two-language policy here," he said.
Kannada Development Authority chairperson Purushottam Bilimale welcomed the move and said, "This decision will not just reduce the burden on students, but it will also promote the growth of Kannada."
Highlights - New marking system * Students to get grades for third language subjects like Hindu, Urdu, Arabic and others * The new rule will come into force from the ongoing SSLC exams * official order on shifting to the grading system will be issued by March 31 * Decision to exclude third language marks was made to reduce burden on students, said Minister Madhu Bangarappa