Bengaluru: In a major setback to the State Government, the Karnataka High Court (HC) has directed the authorities to mandatorily record marks for third language in SSLC exam instead of awarding grades.

Hearing a writ petition filed by three students including Sahana R. Naik of Chikkamagalur, the single-Judge Bench of Justice E.S. Indiresh observed that the decision to award grades could adversely affect the academic prospects of the students.

The Bench directed the Government to record marks for third language including Hindi for academic year 2025-26 for which results are yet to be announced.

It may be recalled, the Government had ordered for awarding grades for third language instead of marks for SSLC exam conducted by Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board. While the decision was welcomed by pro-Kannada activists and writers, it was criticised by BJP and others.