No compulsory Telugu for Class 9, 10 in Telangana Schools, State Govt informs high court

Hyderabad: The Telangana Government on Monday informed the High Court that Telugu would not be imposed as a compulsory second language for Class IX and X students in the current academic year.

The clarification came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the State’s decision to make Telugu mandatory across all schools in Telangana.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin heard the matter.

PIL filed by Hindi Teacher

The PIL was filed by Pramila Pathak, a Hindi teacher who has served as Head of Department in several reputed schools across India.

She questioned the government memo dated December 7, 2024, which directed all schools to implement Telugu as a compulsory language from Classes VI to IX starting from the 2025–26 academic year.

The petitioner contended that the sudden imposition of Telugu for students studying under CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge and other national boards was arbitrary and unconstitutional.

She argued that it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, 21, 29, 30 and 51-A of the Constitution.

Petitioner seeks phased implementation

Pramila Pathak urged the court to direct the government to implement the Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Telugu in Schools Act, 2018 (Act No.10 of 2018) in a phased manner, as originally envisaged, instead of enforcing it abruptly.

She stated that forcing schools and students to comply without adequate preparation would cause significant disruption in academic activities, especially in national and international curriculum schools.

State’s Response: Exemption Continues

Appearing for the government, Special Government Pleader (GP) Rahul Reddy informed the court that a similar plea was already pending before a single judge bench.

He clarified that Telugu would not be made compulsory for Class IX and X students this year, and the existing exemption would continue for the current academic session.

He also submitted that ten students of Delhi Public School had filed petitions earlier on the same issue, and the single bench had granted interim relief, directing that those students be exempted from the compulsory Telugu rule.

A counter affidavit has also been filed by the State Government in that case.

Bench seeks clarity on Pending Petition

Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh asked whether any schools had filed petitions and sought details of the pending writ petition before the single bench. The government counsel clarified that only individual students had approached the court, and no schools were direct petitioners in the matter.

The Chief Justice observed that since the single bench was already seized of the issue, the division bench would wait for its outcome before proceeding further.

Three Options Before the Court

During the hearing, the Chief Justice outlined three possible approaches:

1. Allowing the single bench to decide the pending writ petition,

2. Enabling aggrieved parties to file a writ appeal so all related matters could be heard together, or

3. Taking up the PIL independently, irrespective of the single bench’s proceedings.

After brief deliberation, the division bench decided to keep the PIL in abeyance until the single bench’s verdict is delivered.

Matter Adjourned for Two Weeks

The court adjourned the hearing for two weeks, awaiting an update on the status of the related petition before the single judge.

For now, the government’s assurance stands firm — Telugu will not be imposed as a compulsory second language for Class IX and X students in Telangana during the current academic year.