Mysuru: Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Chairman T.S. Nagabharana said that there were 160 schools in the State that do not teach Kannada.

Addressing a press meet at Administrative Training Institute (ATI) here recently, Nagabharana said that some of the schools following CBSE, ICSE and State syllabus were found violating the rule that mandates teaching of Kannada. Stating that the Authority has found that 160 schools do not teach Kannada, he said that notices have been served to three schools. Regretting that teaching of Kannada has remained only on paper in several schools, he said that many schools knock on the doors of the Court if they are served notice for not teaching Kannada.

Referring to Kannada name- boards in commercial establishments, Nagabharana said that several commercial establishments and companies in Bengaluru were served notices for non-display of Kannada name-boards. But some of them moved the Court and brought a stay, he said and added that the Authority will pursue its agenda of ensuring display of Kannada name-boards in all establishments of Bengaluru, by serving notices  and warning them.

The Chief Minister’s E-Administration Advisor Belur Sudarshan who also addressed the press meet said that there were plans to establish an Academy aimed at teaching Kannada to non-Kannadigas through E-Learning and a report will be submitted to the Government in this regard.

Continuing, he said that Dictionaries will be developed under the Union Government’s Bharathvani cluster and the necessary guidelines for formulating Kannada Software that is inclusive of native Kannada terms and usages, are being worked out.

E-Administration Department Planning Director Prabhakar was present at the press meet.