Hold competitive exams in Kannada as well: Karnataka CM to Centre

The chief minister also talked about many accomplished scientists who received their education in Kannada.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday expressed support for the demand to conduct competitive exams for central government jobs in Kannada, in addition to Hindi and English.

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Addressing people at Kanteerava Stadium on the occasion of 68th Karnataka Rajyothsava, the chief minister said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a relook at the medium of language for these exams. During the celebration, Siddaramaiah reiterated the “crucial role” of Kannada as the primary administrative language for effective governance.

“Government correspondence and administrative communication should be in Kannada because we have to interact with Kannadigas. English should only be used when communicating with neighbouring states and the Centre. For effective administration and programme implementation, Kannada should be used,” he said.

“Shivaji Nagar MLA Rizwan Arshad has rightly pointed out that the central government conducts exams only in Hindi and English. We need to oppose this,” he said.

Furthermore, Siddaramaiah lamented the misconception that only government schools provide instruction in Kannada and expressed sadness that private English medium schools are often “viewed as the sole providers of quality education”.

He called for the “mandatory inclusion of the Kannada language in the curriculum for all school children up to Class 10 in Karnataka”.

The chief minister also talked about many accomplished scientists who received their education in Kannada.

“The Supreme Court has said that parents have the right to get their child educated in the medium of instruction of their choice...”Siddaramaiah said while stressing on the need to upgrade government schools so that “quality education can be ensured for the students attending them”.

As part of his commitment towards improving government schools, the chief minister announced free electricity and water for these institutions, effective immediately.

During the event, Siddaramaiah also remarked on non-Kannadigas saying: “Unlike Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, you can survive in Karnataka by speaking Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil without speaking in Kannada. This is true in several areas. I am not insisting that other languages should not be learnt, but speak in Kannada... everyone should understand that Kannada is the sovereign language here.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his wishes for the 68th Kannada Rajyotsava and the 50-year milestone of renaming the state.

He conveyed his wishes in both Kannada and English on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“On this Kannada Rajyotsava, we celebrate the spirit of Karnataka - a cradle of ancient innovation and modern enterprise. Its people, a blend of warmth and wisdom, fuel the state’s relentless march towards greatness. May Karnataka continue to thrive, innovate and inspire,” his post read.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government awarded the Rajyotsava Award to 68 individuals this year, including Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chairman S Somanath and golfer Aditi Ashok, in recognition of their outstanding contributions in their respective fields.

The Rajyotsava Award is the state’s second-highest civilian honour, presented annually by the Karnataka government. The 68th Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards will be presented on the state’s formation day on November 1, coinciding with the golden jubilee of renaming Mysore state as Karnataka. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, who heads the award committee, made the selections.

(With PTI inputs)