Students appearing for third language subjects in this year’s Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations will be given marks instead of grades, the state government has announced, a day after a Supreme Court directive blocked the state’s last-minute shift in assessment policy.
School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said the government would abide by the ruling for the current academic year but may seek legal approval to introduce the grading system in the future. “In order to reduce the burden on students, it was decided to award marks for only the third language in SSLC exams. But the court was in favor of the marks. So, the government will abide by that,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered that students must be assessed under the established system at the beginning of the academic year, rejecting the government’s attempt to review its earlier order.
The state has requested a review of the court’s April 15 directive, which emphasized that evaluation criteria cannot be changed midway.
The dispute arose after the government announced, just days before the third language exam, that it would replace grades with a grading system that would not count towards overall grades. The move has reportedly led to confusion among students and parents across the state.
Adding to the uncertainty, the government issued “draft rules” on April 10 amending the Karnataka Schools Examination and Evaluation Board Act, 1966, but they were not formally notified, leaving the proposed changes without legal standing.
Three students from Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts challenged the decision in court on April 8.
During the hearings on April 15, the state’s attorney assured the court that evaluation would continue under the current grading system.
In its latest order, the Supreme Court emphasized that the proposed grading system for the 2025-26 academic session cannot be implemented without a complete legal framework. She stressed that the “rules of the game” must remain constant throughout the school year.
The court also noted that the only applicable guidelines that have been formally notified are those issued through a circular dated October 28, 2025, which requires award of marks.
While appearing on behalf of the state, Solicitor General Shashi Kiran Shetty argued that the proposed change was aimed at addressing a recurring problem, where students in Class X were deferred due to failure in the third language. However, the court emphasized that procedural fairness cannot be compromised.
Bangarappa said the SSLC results, which were postponed due to court directives, will be announced soon. He also expressed confidence that results this year would show improvement, citing the results of the recent second pre-university examinations.
“More than 30,000 students failed in all subjects last year. But this time only 1,777 students failed in all subjects. Teachers and parents are responsible for good results in SSLC exams,” he said.
The minister added that the government would consider approaching the court again next year to obtain permission for the third language grading system.
This comes at a time when the governor’s office requested a review of the proposal after receiving a representation that raised concerns, and asked the state administration to study the issue from an academic and administrative perspective and consult with the relevant authorities.
In its letter dated April 5, the Governor’s Office requested a detailed examination of the concerns raised. The letter called for a review of the policy from both academic and administrative perspectives and directed officials to consult the School Education Department and other authorities before taking further steps.
However, Madhu Bangarappa said the decision was based on students’ performance trends. In 2024-25, 1.46 lakh of the 1.64 lakh students who failed the SSLC examination did not get the third language paper.
The revised system applies to several languages, including Hindi, Kannada, English, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tulu and Marathi. Data for the current academic year shows that 7,52,398 out of 8,07,962 students chose Hindi as their third language.
The issue has added to a broader debate over language policy in Karnataka, where Kannada groups have raised concerns about the role of Hindi in education. The Kannada Development Authority and the State Education Policy Committee have recommended a move towards a bilingual system, a proposal that has not yet been implemented.
