Arabic, Mahal to stay in Lakshadweep schools

In a big relief to the ethnic community in Lakshadweep islands, Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed the order of the administration to remove Mahal and Arabic languages from the school curriculum in the Union Territory (UT).

- AM Abdussalam

The court issued the order while considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged the move on cultural and constitutional grounds.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji issued the interim stay, citing the need for a context-specific approach to implementing national education reforms.

"The point emphasised by the petitioner, which prima facie, we find merit in, is that for the implementation of the policy in a particular area, there has to be an application of mind and a study of local conditions to determine what is best for the educational interests of the community," the court said.