Former Member of Parliament and president of Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam M. Ramadass has urged the government to constitute an expert committee to look into various aspects of implementing the directive of Central Board of Secondary Education on three-language formula in the Union Territory.

The CBSE had last month issued a circular directing all affiliated schools in the country to introduce a third language in Class VI from the current academic year to comply with the emphasis given in the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE-2023) for teaching two Indian languages.

“The Puducherry government should immediately constitute an expert committee to prepare a comprehensive report highlighting Puducherry’s unique historical background, the significance of French language education, and the practical advantages of the existing two-language system. The report should be submitted to the Central government seeking special exemption for implementing three-language formula,” Mr. Ramadass said in a release.

The proposed three-language formula could create an unnecessary academic burden on students who are already facing pressure from competitive examinations and expanding curricula. There was also a danger that students may not attain full proficiency in any language, the release said. 

“Though Hindi is not officially compulsory, the practical difficulties in imparting all constitutionally-recognised Indian languages could indirectly result in the dominance of Hindi, leading to fears of linguistic imposition. Language learning must be based on the choice and interests of students and parents, not through administrative compulsion,” he added.