Karnataka to replace SSLC third language marks with grading system; total marks reduced to 525

Karnataka to replace SSLC third language marks with grading system; total marks reduced to 525

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Mar 28, 2026: Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Friday announced that from the current academic year, the marks system for the third language in the SSLC (Class 10) examination will be replaced with a grading system, which will not affect a student’s overall result.

He said that until now, the SSLC exam carried a total of 625 marks, including 100 marks for the third language. With the new decision, the total marks will be reduced to 525.

“We had decided to implement this change after the Assembly session. The session concluded yesterday, and I met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah this morning. He has spoken about a two-language policy on several occasions. From this year onwards, until any further policy decision is taken, the third language will be assessed only through grading,” Bangarappa said.

The Minister for School Education and Literacy clarified that the 100 marks earlier allotted to the third language will now be graded and will not be counted towards the final result. However, students will still be required to appear for the exam.

He noted that Hindi is not the only third language taught in the state and that concerns had been raised by Kannada organisations and activists over its perceived imposition. “Kannadiga children often find it difficult to read and write Hindi, and this decision aims to ease that burden,” he said.

Bangarappa added that completely removing the third language at this stage could impact teachers. “There are around 13–14 third languages taught in Karnataka, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Marathi, Tulu, and others,” he said.

Under the new system, third language exams will be graded A, B, C, or D, with no pass or fail classification. “The grades will not affect a student’s overall performance, but appearing for the exam will remain mandatory,” he said.

He declined to comment on the implementation of a two-language policy, stating that such decisions rest with the government, Cabinet, and Assembly.

Citing data from last year, the minister said that 1.64 lakh students had failed the third language exam, including 1.48 lakh who failed in Hindi. “This reflects the pressure on students, which may also have impacted their performance in other subjects,” he added.