UG, PG students can now answer bilingually in exam

‘Some questions can be attended in Kannada and a few others in English, whichever a student feels convenient’

Students at the graduate and postgraduate levels will have the option of writing answers in both Kannada and English in examinations from the ongoing academic year.

The decision was taken at the 23rd general meeting of the State Higher Education Council (SHEC) chaired by Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday.

“At present, students can write answers for a question paper either in Kannada or English. However, the new decision will allow students to write answers for a paper bilingually. This means that some questions can be attended in Kannada and a few others in English, whichever a student feels convenient,” the Minister said.

He said the option had already been introduced in polytechnic courses. “Besides this, as per the aspiration of the National Education Policy, to promote higher education in regional languages, it was decided to undertake the translation of qualitative books into Kannada. It was also decided to constitute a high-level committee to make use of technology in achieving this,” Dr. Ashwath Narayan said.

B. Thimme Gowda, Vice-Chairperson of the SHEC, told The Hindu, “Bilingual teaching method is already in existence in all the degree and PG classes. All the faculty members know Kannada and English to teach and evaluate the answer sheets. Rural students are facing some difficulties to write exams in English for Commerce and Science subjects. This new method will help the students in a big way.”

Priyanka, a second-semester PG Economics student from Bangalore University, said: “I come from a rural background. In PG classes, the teaching happens only in English. I can understand the lessons, but I am not able to write in the examination properly. The government’s decision to allow us to use both Kannada and English in exam will help lakhs of students who come from rural and Kannada medium backgrounds.”