Jaipur: In a significant order promoting regional languages, the Supreme Court has directed the Rajasthan government to formulate a policy for making the teaching of the Rajasthani language mandatory in schools across the state, including both government and private institutions.
Hearing a petition filed by Padma Mehta and others, a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta instructed the state government to include Rajasthani language education at the primary, secondary, and higher education levels.
The apex court also sought a compliance report from the state government by September 30.
During the hearing, the court observed that Rajasthani has rich historical, literary, and cultural significance and has already received recognition in several universities and higher educational institutions.
The bench told the government to formulate a clear policy to integrate the Rajasthani language into the state’s educational framework.
The petitioners argued before the court that millions of people speak Rajasthani and that the language possesses a rich literary and cultural heritage.
Despite this, it has not been included either as a medium of instruction or in the structure of the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers.
The petitioners also reminded the court that on August 25, 2003, the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution recommending the inclusion of Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Representing the state government, Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma submitted that the issue falls within the domain of government policy and that an appropriate decision would be taken at the right time.
The state government clarified before the court that it had never opposed the inclusion of Rajasthani in the education system.
In its earlier response, the government stated that Rajasthani was not part of the approved curriculum framework for primary and upper primary schools and, therefore, was not included in the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers.
The state also informed the court that implementation of the National Education Policy is under consideration and that measures related to mother tongue education and inclusion of regional languages are being examined in a phased manner.
The court delivered a judgment in a petition seeking to include Rajasthani as a language for imparting education to children in schools.
The petitioners also sought directions to include Rajasthani in the syllabus of the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers.
The Special Leave Petition was filed against the judgment of the Rajasthan High Court, which rejected the petitioners’ plea.
The High Court held that it could not issue a writ of mandamus to include Rajasthani as a language of education, as it was an educational policy matter.
Although the official language of the state is Hindi under the Rajasthan Official Language Act of 1956, the petitioners pointed out that Rajasthani is spoken by about 4.36 crore people, according to the 2011 Census.
(IANS)
