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Foreign languages have been offered as optional subjects to its students for their better career prospects and but not do away with Sanskrit, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan on Wednesday told the Delhi high court.
The KVS said foreign languages could not be accommodated within the 'Three Language Formula' but might be offered as an additional option and students were at liberty to choose any language they desire.
The submission was made in an affidavit filed by the institution before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath. "In view of the fast-increasing international interaction and cooperation in socio-political, education, culture and economic fields, a growing need for learning more and more foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Arabic, Persian, and Spanish has been felt recently," the KVS has said in its affidavit.
"These languages can't be accommodated within the Three Language Formula. However, depending on the demand for the study of any number of these and the infrastructural resources available with the schools, these languages may be offered as additional options at secondary stage," it has said.
The bench, which listed the matter for October 15, was hearing the plea filed by Sanskrit Shikshak Sangh through its president Dheerendra Kumar Jha. The PIL challenges the decision of KVS to introduce foreign languages such as German, French, Chinese and Spanish "in place" of Sanskrit as third language from the academic session 2011-12 in classes VI to VIII.
The petition has said that the notifications are against the fundamental rights of the citizens and Sanskrit teachers have been asked by KVS to take training in these foreign languages so that they may teach these languages in due course in place of Sanskrit.