No proposal to make Sanskrit compulsory till Class X: Govt

HRD Minister Smriti Irani today said there is no proposal at present to make study of Sanskrit compulsory up to Class X, even as her ministry has written to states for organising 'Sanskrit Saptah' (week) in schools.
"Presently, no such proposal is under consideration of the HRD Ministry," she said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha to a question on whether the ministry is contemplating to make study of Sanskrit compulsory up to class X in all public and private schools in the country.
To a question on what step the government was taking to promote Sanskrit in schools, she said states have been asked to celebrate Sanskrit week in schools and a similar direction has also been given by CBSE to its affiliated schools.

"The ministry has recently written to the Chief Secretaries as well as the Education Secretaries to organise Sanskrit saptah in schools across the country," she said.
CBSE-affiliated schools have been asked to celebrate Sanskrit week from August 7 to 13 to popularise the language, she said.
She said CBSE has developed textbooks for classes from VI to XII and workbooks and support materials like teachers manual, resource manual and audio cassette for Class IX.
It has also conducted about 50 teachers training programme and seminars across the country to orient the teachers in communicative approach to teaching Sanskrit, she said.