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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘It can have unimaginable consequences': experts urge Karnataka Govt to scrap facial recognition attendance in schools
The Karnataka Government's proposal to introduce an Artificial Intelligence-driven facial recognition attendance system in schools has sparked a strong backlash from educationists, rights groups, and civil society organisations. A coalition of 31 experts and organisations wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Monday, urging him to roll back the initiative, and instead strengthen community-based accountability in the education system. The Department of School Education and Literacy has announced plans to link a mobile-based facial recognition system to the Students Achievement Tracking System (SATS) to monitor absenteeism, and track beneficiaries of government welfare schemes such as midday meals. The scheme was piloted in a few schools and highlighted in the 2025-26 Karnataka Budget. However, its implementation has been delayed, and critics argue that it should not be launched at all. Experts fear that capturing and storing children's biometric data could expose them to serious risks, including surveillance, misuse, and trafficking. They pointed to past instances where data collected by the education department, such as SSLC examination results, was shared with private coaching centres for commercial purposes. 'If such sensitive facial data is harvested and misused, it can have unimaginable consequences, including falling into the hands of child traffickers and criminals,' said Niranjanaradhya V P, Convener, People's Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education (PAFRE). Concerns also centre on the misuse of technology for sexual exploitation. The joint statement highlights that advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to morph children's images into explicit content, fuelling a rise in sextortion cases worldwide. Activists argue that classrooms are not public spaces but protected environments where children should feel safe. 'By introducing surveillance through facial recognition, we are creating vulnerabilities for children instead of protecting them. Schools must remain safe spaces, not zones of surveillance,' said Niranjanaradhya. The statement also draws attention to wider risks in India's 'leaky data environment,' where CCTV footage and personal details are often misused or leaked. It notes high-profile cases of breaches in public security systems, including the Digi Yatra app, and instances of private videos being circulated from surveillance feeds. Critics argue that if even secure aviation systems face breaches, data collected from schoolchildren would be even harder to safeguard. Internationally, several countries have restricted or banned the use of facial recognition technologies in educational settings. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education has also recommended a global prohibition on such surveillance in schools. Even China, one of the world's leaders in AI surveillance, has moved to curb its use in classrooms. Activists further cautioned that the push for facial recognition reflects a misplaced faith in technology-driven 'quick fixes.' They argue that real accountability in schools can only come from empowering local communities, teachers, and parents. 'The government already mandates School Development and Monitoring Committees in every school. If these are strengthened and supported, they can ensure far greater accountability than any surveillance tool ever could,' said Niranjanaradhya. The joint statement also warned that deploying facial recognition in schools would put children's privacy, dignity, and safety at risk while offering little real benefit. The signatories — including academics, child rights organisations, teachers' unions, parents' associations, and public health experts — have demanded that the government drop the plan altogether and introduce a policy banning facial recognition in education.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cut in SSLC pass mark in Karnataka devalues education: Experts
Bengaluru: A group of educationists has written to the Karnataka govt against its move to reduce the pass mark of SSLC from 35 to 33, saying it devalue qualitative learning and weaken the learning system in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Instead of setting up a system to teach all class 10 students to the level of mastery, this is limiting the system to mere pass-fail calculations and will take Karnataka back at least 150 years," said the July 28 letter addressed to the chief minister. Last week, the school education department released a draft notification suggesting lowering of pass mark and including internal marks in the calculation of the pass mark. "Instead of reviving the existing system, providing necessary infrastructure, improving the quality of education through measures such as essential laboratory, library, computer lab, recruitment of teachers to fill vacant posts, creating an enabling environment for teachers, etc., what is the point of reducing the marks to pass and sending more students to the next class? The political implication behind this is to make them ignorant and second-class citizens," they argued. The letter asked them to withdraw the notification, saying they'll launch a campaign on the Kerala model to rejuvenate public education in Karnataka. The letter was signed by educationists Niranjanaradhya VP, Shripad Bhat and litterateur K Maralusiddappa, among others.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
2-language policy or 3?: After Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Karnataka wades into debate
Taking a leaf out of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu's book, the Congress government in Karnataka has thrown its hat into the ring by resisting the three-language policy proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. While the government is viewing the three-language policy as a way to 'impose Hindi' on the state, its move towards a two-language curriculum has also stirred unease. Currently, Karnataka follows a three-language policy in state board-affiliated schools, allowing students to choose either Hindi, Sanskrit or any other Indian language as the third language from Class 6. Meanwhile, the first and second languages remain Kannada and English, respectively. However, in Urdu-, Marathi-, Telugu- and Tamil-medium schools, the first language would be the respective language of the medium of instruction. While the second language choice is mostly English, the third language is either Hindi or Kannada. In a post on X on June 29, the Karnataka Congress had stated that mandating Hindi as a third language in schools would create discord and pose learning difficulties for Kannada, Tulu and Kodava speakers. 'South India's linguistic diversity is a vibrant tapestry, weaving together languages like Kannada, Kodava, Tulu, Konkani, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and many others. However, mandating Hindi as a third language in schools, especially in non-Hindi-speaking states like Karnataka, creates discord. For speakers of Kannada, Tulu, or Kodava who are fluent in Kannada and English, struggling with written Hindi is a significant challenge—a sentiment shared by many students in linguistically rich regions,' the post read. It also further stated that forcing Hindi can hinder students who excel in other areas. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru earlier this month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backed a two-language policy and emphasised that his government was committed to it. The push for a two-language policy has been backed by education expert Niranjanaradhya VP, who is also a key member of the government's State Education Policy (SEP) commission, headed by former UGC chairman Sukhadeo Thorat. 'Introducing a third language causes an additional burden on the child, which will hamper their cognitive skills. Like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka should also stick to two languages in state board schools, with one regional language, Kannada, and the other one being English. Studies have proved that language proficiency is higher among adults than children. Hence, introducing additional languages early on will hinder their cognitive skills,' he noted. Sources in the government said that the school education department has yet to consider a policy shift in language. Moreover, the SEP commission has yet to submit a report on the two-language policy. However, this idea has not been well received among private school management associations, education experts, pro-Kannada groups, and other stakeholders. On July 13, Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, wrote to Siddaramaiah, urging him to continue with the three-language formula to foster multilingualism and national integration as envisaged in the Kothari Education Commission (1964-1966). 'The three-language formula equips students with the ability to communicate effectively in different languages, allowing them to pursue higher education and careers across various states. Psychological studies suggest that learning multiple languages enhances cognitive development,' he said. He added, 'It is noteworthy that over 17,909 students in the state scored a perfect 100 in Hindi in the SSLC examinations—more than in any other subject. While some argue that students fail more frequently in Hindi, statistics show that more students pass in Hindi than in many other subjects. In fact, strong performance in Hindi often contributes to improving the overall academic results.' Horatti also raised concerns over the livelihood of 15,000 Hindi teachers and their families in the state if the government decided to drop the three-language formula. On July 12, D Shashikumar, General Secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), warned of legal action if the state government decides to drop the existing three-language policy in state board-affiliated schools. In a representation to Siddaramaiah, the association appealed not to disturb the existing three-language policy, and instead implement key reforms to the language assessment system in the interest of the students. 'The Karnataka government is indulging in knee-jerk reactions following the developments in Maharashtra. We are, of course, against the imposition of Hindi. However, we believe a third language with the option of learning Hindi or Sanskrit or any other Indian language will enhance the cognitive skills of the students,' Shashikumar said. He added that limiting language choice violates parents' and students' fundamental rights as per various landmark Supreme Court judgments. 'Switching to a two-language policy will hamper the livelihood of 4,000 Urdu-medium schools and their teachers. What will happen to them? What will be the plight of linguistic minorities in the state who speak Tamil, Tulu, Telugu, and Marathi? They will be devoid of linguistic choices,' said Shashikumar. He also appealed to the state government to bring the first language marks in SSLC down to 100 from 125, to ensure parity with other boards. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
New York Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Modi Wants More Indians to Speak Hindi. Some States Are Shouting ‘No.'
In India, the land of more than a thousand tongues, few things inflame passions more than language. Touching the hot button comes with political peril. Just ask the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. High-profile brawls have erupted recently over Mr. Modi's push for the nationwide adoption of Hindi, the language of his power base in northern India and a symbol of his campaign to unify the country around the ideology of Hindu nationalism. Late last month, the government of Maharashtra, a state in western India governed by Mr. Modi's party, was forced to retract a policy requiring that Hindi be taught in elementary schools. Opposition politicians, residents and others had called the policy an affront to Marathi, the region's native language. In Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state with a history of rioting over efforts to make Hindi mandatory, the chief minister has raged for months against an education policy pushed by the Modi government, claiming that it is trying to force students to learn the language. Tamil Nadu sued the central government in May after it said that it would withhold education funds until the state implemented the policy. 'It is common sense that pushing any one language will harm the national integration and unity of a linguistically diverse nation like India,' said Niranjanaradhya V.P., an activist who studies how education affects childhood development. 'It is because of this imposition that there is so much resistance by people.' Central government officials have been careful to emphasize publicly that India's strength lies in its linguistic diversity. When they attack any of India's languages, their target is English, calling it a legacy of colonialism that must be de-emphasized to build a new India. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Fix dropout rate in high schools: PAFRE tells Karnataka government
BENGALURU: POINTING to the high dropout rate of 22.1% among high school students in Karnataka, which is much higher than the national average of 14.1%, the People's Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education (PAFRE) has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking him to focus on solving 'long-term' problems in the education system instead of blaming officials for the poor SSLC results. PAFRE welcomed the CM's concern, expressed during a recent review meeting, over the fall in SSLC pass percentages, especially in backward regions like Kalyana Karnataka. However, the group said that reprimanding education officers alone won't help improve results. Instead, it stressed the need to improve the overall learning system from Class 1 to Class 10, especially in government and aided schools where most children come from poor and disadvantaged families. Chief convenor of the group Professor Niranjanaradhya VP explained that exam results are just the final stage and if children do not receive quality education and support from the beginning, expecting better results is unfair. He added that the current system does not give students the learning environment, teachers, and leadership. 'Karnataka's high school dropout rate must be addressed immediately if the government wants to see long-term improvements,' he said. The RTE group asked the state government to prepare a three-year action plan to bring all schools up to standard.
