Karnataka - Bangalore

Fillip to Kannada learning courses

Bangalore: Encouraged by the fast-changing attitude towards Kannada by city residents, the Department of Kannada and Culture is reportedly thinking of giving a new impetus to its Kannada inculcation programme.

The department has been organising crash courses on Kannada learning for over a decade. It has been training teachers who have completed their graduation, with Kannada as a major subject, or postgraduation in Kannada. The course syllabus is prepared by the Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages.

The department was holding capsules of 100 hours over six months.

But owing to practical problems, the number of classes have now been reduced to 90 hours, and the duration to three months with an annual grant of Rs. 10 lakh. It has a panel of trained teachers.

Besides, the Kannada Development Authority, which also works under the Department of Culture, has its own programmes for inculcating Kannada to interested non-Kannadigas across the State, with a focus on border districts such as Belgaum, Gulbarga and Bidar. It has a separate budgetary allocation.

The Kannada Prasara Parishat has also been conducting courses on Kannada learning with a focus on spoken language.

The parishat has taught Kannada to more than 30, 000 people, including the former Governor V.S. Rama Devi and former Chief Secretary Theresa Bhattacharya, since 1973.

The Kannada Prasara Parishat is now finding it difficult to meet the growing demand, according to B.V. Raghvan of the Kannada Prasara Parishat.

Even as the demand for short-term Kannada courses is on the rise, there is a general complaint that there is a dearth of trained Kannada teachers in the department.

Refuting the complaint, the Assistant Director (Training) A.K. Basavarajappa told The Hindu that a regular demand for a couple of skilled teachers should not be interpreted as dearth of teaching talent. As a policy matte, the department had been concentrating both on script and spoken language.

The department is ready to provide infrastructure for holding the classes free of cost for all those who approach it.

It would conduct the courses for public and private sector companies and other organisations at the venues of their choice, including public places, within a short notice.

It held classes for the employees of many public sector units such as BEL, HAL, ADA and Reserve Bank, Tamil Sangam and Kerala Samajam on request. Contrary to the expectations, the IT companies were yet to approach the department, he said.

Those interested may contact Director Kannada and Culture, Kannada Bhavana, J.C. Road, Bangalore for details, Or Phone: 0802221271, 08022241325 and 08022213530.

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