BIE's proposal to introduce Sanskrit as second language in govt junior colleges sparks backlash from lecturers

Hyderabad: A circular by the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) to introduce Sanskrit as a second language in government junior colleges has sparked a backlash from lecturers, who stated that the decision would cause immense harm to the propagation of Telugu, as well as student leaders

“Fifty per cent students are studying languages other than Telugu, while 90 per cent of private colleges don't offer Telugu as an option,” said P. Madhusudan Reddy, president of Telangana Government Junior Lecturers Association. He said students, who did not study Sanskrit till Class 10, chose it in Intermediate as they were allowed to write exams in any script and not essentially in Devanagari. This provision allows them to secure more marks.

Intermediate lecture associations and language experts asked that when the government had made Telugu compulsory till Class 10 for all boards, how could it promote Sanskrit at the Intermediate level. They wondered if the government could appoint Sanskrit lecturers in the 426 state-run colleges.

The Telangana State Gazetted Junior Lecturers Association has sent an online representation to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, requesting him to cancel the circular issued by the BIE.

“Various states are promoting their language. Telugu will lose its presence if Sanskrit was introduced (in Intermediate). Out of 426 government colleges, 200 offer Hindi. If Sanskrit is also offered, Telugu will be available in less than 50 per cent of colleges,” Madhusudan Reddy said.

Dr Koppisetty Suresh, general secretary of Telangana State Gazetted Lecturers Association, said, “We are asking the Board to not drag government junior colleges into the corporate college-driven marks race.” He said the previous BRS government had also tried to introduce Sanskrit in junior colleges, but withdrew the proposal after opposition from teachers associations, Telugu literary, cultural and language associations.

Clarifying on the issue, BIE regional joint director Jayaprada Bai said, “In 2024, we received a memo from the government to fill Sanskrit lecturer posts. Accordingly, we released a circular asking district officials if students were interested in learning Sanskrit. Currently, only 15 colleges in the state — five in Hyderabad and 10 in other districts — offer Sanskrit.”

A Telugu faculty member said, “All Telugu lecturers are planning to protest against the move. If Sanskirt is offered, the board must make it compulsory for students to write the exam in the Devanagari script. If students choose Telugu, at least they will learn their mother tongue which is disappearing these days,” the faculty added.

While Sanskrit has traditionally been an optional language in private institutions, its widespread implementation in government junior colleges could require a major overhaul in teaching resources, including the recruitment and training of qualified language instructors.

Most students study Telugu or Hindi as their second language in government junior colleges. Bringing in Sanskrit now, without a support system in place, could leave students confused and poorly prepared,” said L. Manju, a student leader.

For another leader, Harshit N., introducing Sanskrit suddenly at the Intermediate level made “little academic sense.” “Where is the trained staff? Where is the language continuity for students who have studied only Telugu till Class 10,” he asked.

Some have raised concerns that such a shift might worsen learning gaps for students from marginalised backgrounds. Students groups like the SFI have also called on the BIE to immediately withdraw the decision.