Kerala minister condemns decision to remove Arabic & Mahal from Lakshadweep's curriculum – ‘deeply disturbing'
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty Wednesday deplored the Lakshadweep administration's decision to remove Arabic and Mahal languages from the island's school curriculum, calling it 'deeply disturbing'.
In a statement he issued, Sivankutty said the decision to 'foist' the Narendra Modi government's National Education Policy would 'destroy the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country'. The order to remove the two languages was issued by the Education Department on May 14 under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023.
Mahal, also known as the Maliku dialect, is a variant of Dhivehi, the official language of Maldives. The language retains some features of an older Maldivian but also has Malayalam influences.
'Kerala expresses solidarity with the people of the Island. All democratic forces, academic fraternity and organisations in the education sector should raise their voice against this linguistic injustice and urge the authorities to revoke the decision. The move of the Union Government to unilaterally foist educational reforms that would marginalise regional cultural and languages should be desisted,' he said in the statement.
The decision of the Lakshadweep administration to remove the island's mother languages Arabic and Mahal from school curriculum is a matter of concern, the statement said.
'This decision was taken under the guise of implementing the National Education Policy and it is against the professed policy of the union government to promote mother languages and regional diversity in education. By denying the Lakshadweep students the right to learn their regional languages, the Union Government is violating the constitutional rights of linguistic minorities,' he said.
The Kerala government had already raised its concerns about the framework of National Education Policy 2020 and the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India, or the PM Shri – a central scheme to improve education infrastructure, he said.
'Our decision to oppose the policy had stemmed from this concern,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Renting Aadhaar logins, manipulating data: How hackers ‘helped' job aspirants cheat
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister has directed the strictest possible action following revelations of a sophisticated cyber fraud that exploited the Aadhaar update system during the Police Constable Recruitment Exam-2023. In a statement, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said: 'Such criminal acts, which cause injustice to deserving candidates, will not be tolerated in Madhya Pradesh. Taking suo motu cognizance, the Police Headquarters is conducting a thorough examination of biometric data and Aadhaar history of all successful candidates. In cases where impersonation is found at first glance, criminal cases have been registered against the candidates and strict action is being ensured.' The directive comes as investigators have allegedly uncovered an interstate network spanning multiple states that manipulated biometric data to help unqualified candidates fraudulently pass the recruitment examination. According to sources, the investigation has allegedly revealed that the organised gang rented login IDs of several Aadhaar centre agents. They also indicate the gang cloned agents' retina and biometric data that served as passwords for these IDs, with one agent having his ID rented for Rs 3,000 per month. Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Anshuman Singh said that during investigation, it was also found that some Aadhaar card vendors uploaded requests for biometric changes to the Aadhaar system without proper verification. 'The accused candidates exploited this lapse to commit the crime,' he said. The sophisticated operation allegedly utilised remote access applications to control candidates' systems from Delhi while updating their Aadhaar with the gang's own biometric data. After examinations concluded, the IDs were changed back to their original state, allowing imposters known as 'solvers' to be sent to exam centres with altered identities. The gang updated biometric data in candidates' Aadhaar cards before the exam and altered it again afterward. Police said the irregularities were first detected in November 2024 when documents of five candidates in Morena raised suspicions during the Physical Proficiency Test. This discovery prompted the police headquarters to issue directives on April 21, 2025, requiring re-verification of biometric and Aadhaar history for all selected candidates during character verification and appointment phases. The probe has led to the registration of 21 cases against 22 candidates across multiple districts, with seven cases in Morena, six in Shivpuri, two in Sheopur, and one each in Indore, Datia, Gwalior, Alirajpur, Rajgarh, and Shahdol.
India Gazette
5 hours ago
- India Gazette
Madhya Pradesh: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offers prayers at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple
Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan offered prayers at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Pradhan, Governor of Karnataka, Thaawarchand Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated a hostel and staff quarters at Prime Minister Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya-2. The Union Minister Pradhan and CM Yadav also performed a ritual and inaugurated the hostel and staff quarters. In an X post, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared glimpses of the event and appreciated Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Sandipani Vidyalaya for working to create meritorious students under the National Education Policy 2020. He wrote, 'Today, along with Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav ji, Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Thaawarchand Gehlot ji and other colleagues, inaugurated the new hostel and staff quarters of PM Shri School Navodaya Vidyalaya-2 in Alot, Ratlam and Sandipani Vidyalaya, Alot.' 'I am happy that the state governments, including Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Sandipani Vidyalaya, are working at a rapid pace on the vision of creating meritorious students in the National Education Policy - 2020,' he also mentioned that Navodaya Vidyalayas have performed excellently, and more than 1100 students from these schools have been selected for IITs all over the country. 'This time, the performance of Navodaya Vidyalayas has been excellent. More than 1100 students selected in IIT from all over the country are from Navodaya Vidyalayas. It is a matter of even more satisfaction for us that more than half of these students are from poor and deprived sections. I have full faith that in the coming years, the students of PM Shri Navodaya Vidyalaya-2, Alot will also make their place in prestigious institutions like IIT, NEET, NIT,' Dharmendra Pradhan wrote. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for NEP 2020, he wrote, 'School is a modern temple for us. Under the National Education Policy - 2020 implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, work is being done to empower our new generation by connecting education through Indian languages, science, sports and other subjects. Prime Minister plans that in the next 2-3 years, all government and rural schools in the country will have broadband internet facilities, and AI-based education will also be made available. Our effort is to provide facilities equivalent to private schools and government schools as well.' (ANI)
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Khasi Authors' Society calls for inclusion of language in 6th schedule
Shillong: Khasi Authors' Society convened its annual general council in the city on Saturday to deliberate on several critical and long-standing concerns related to the Khasi language and its place within the constitutional and cultural framework of the state and the nation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At the forefront of the discussions was the urgent call for the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, as well as the legislative process required to elevate its current status from an associate official language to a full-fledged official language of Meghalaya. Members emphasized the need for swift governmental action in recognition of the linguistic rights and cultural identity of the Khasi people. Another major agenda item was the status and completion of the comprehensive Khasi-to-Khasi and Khasi-to-English dictionary project, which is being developed with financial support from the Department of Arts and Culture, Govt of Meghalaya, and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council. The Council also discussed plans for commemorating iconic literary figures such as Thomas Jones and Soso Tham, among others, through a series of events, including a national seminar to be held in New Delhi in 2026. The session witnessed the induction of several new members into the Society, signaling a growing interest in literary pursuits among the younger generation. The incumbent leadership was retained, with Dr. D. R. L. Nonglait as president, Dr. K. D. Ramsiej as vice president, and Dr. Ronald P. Kharshiing as general secretary. "The Khasi Authors' Society reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for the advancement of the Khasi language and literature. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Strategic measures have been streamlined to ensure that the government—both state and central—take concrete action on these long-pending issues. The Society stressed that such efforts are essential for nurturing the aspirations of young literary talents and for aligning indigenous language development with the objectives of the National Education Policy, 2020," a statement issued by the Society said. Shillong: Khasi Authors' Society convened its annual general council in the city on Saturday to deliberate on several critical and long-standing concerns related to the Khasi language and its place within the constitutional and cultural framework of the state and the nation, reports Manosh Das. At the forefront of the discussions was the urgent call for the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, as well as the legislative process required to elevate its current status from an associate official language to a full-fledged official language of Meghalaya. Members emphasized the need for swift governmental action in recognition of the linguistic rights and cultural identity of the Khasi people. Another major agenda item was the status and completion of the comprehensive Khasi-to-Khasi and Khasi-to-English dictionary project, which is being developed with financial support from the Department of Arts and Culture, Govt of Meghalaya, and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council. The Council also discussed plans for commemorating iconic literary figures such as Thomas Jones and Soso Tham, among others, through a series of events, including a national seminar to be held in New Delhi in 2026. The session witnessed the induction of several new members into the Society, signaling a growing interest in literary pursuits among the younger generation. The incumbent leadership was retained, with Dr. D. R. L. Nonglait as president, Dr. K. D. Ramsiej as vice president, and Dr. Ronald P. Kharshiing as general secretary. "The Khasi Authors' Society reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for the advancement of the Khasi language and literature. Strategic measures have been streamlined to ensure that the government—both state and central—take concrete action on these long-pending issues. The Society stressed that such efforts are essential for nurturing the aspirations of young literary talents and for aligning indigenous language development with the objectives of the National Education Policy, 2020," a statement issued by the Society said.
