Puducherry CM urges Centre to grant special recognition to French in Puducherry UT

PUDUCHERRY: AINRC founder and chief minister N Rangasamy has urged Union govt to grant special recognition to French as a ‘Regional Language’, on a par with native Indian languages of the CBSE curriculum for educational institutions in the Union territory of Puducherry. In a letter addressed to education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rangasamy urged him to evolve a flexible mechanism within the CBSE framework that would enable students to continue learning French without disruption. The CBSE’s recent circular directing its affiliated schools to implement the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE 2023) will effectively remove French as a language option in schools in the Union territory. The curriculum recommends teaching two Indian languages and one foreign language from Class 6, effective from the academic year 2026-27. “While we appreciate the ministry's efforts to strengthen the national educational framework, I wish to convey the concerns of the people of Puducherry regarding the continuity of the French language in our schools under the present structure requiring two native Indian languages,” Rangasamy said. “For Puducherry, French is not merely a foreign language but an integral part of our historical and cultural identity, shaped by the Treaty of Cession signed between the Indian and French govts and our longstanding association with France,” said Rangasamy.