Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman Purushottama Bilimale has expressed objection to private school managements fining students for speaking in Kannada on the school campus in the State, alleging that this is not only an anti-educational measure, but also a violation of the constitutional rights of the children.

In a letter to School Literacy and Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, he said: “According to the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022, there should be an environment conducive to the use and dissemination of Kannada in all educational institutions in Karnataka.”

“Mother tongue plays an important role in the social, emotional and cultural development of a child. Various studies have confirmed that communicating in the mother tongue increases the vocabulary and self-confidence of students,” he added.

“Every educational institution, including all English medium schools in the State, should immediately abandon the inhuman practice of penalising students for speaking Kannada,” he said.