PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has urged the Union Government to consider granting special recognition to French as a “regional language” under the R3 category of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum for educational institutions in Puducherry.
In a letter addressed to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on May 25, the Chief Minister sought the Centre’s intervention to preserve French language education in Puducherry under the three-language framework recently introduced by the CBSE.
Rangasamy said the Union Territory had achieved a 99.81 per cent pass percentage in the CBSE Class X examinations for the academic year 2025-26 after all government schools were affiliated to CBSE from 2022-23.
Referring to recent CBSE circulars regarding implementation of the three-language policy, he conveyed concerns among the people of Puducherry over the continuity of French language education under the present structure, requiring two native Indian languages.
The Chief Minister said French was not merely a foreign language for Puducherry but an integral part of its historical and cultural identity, shaped by the Treaty of Cession and the region’s long-standing association with France.
He noted that several residents continued to maintain close ties with France, including holding French citizenship and participating in French democratic institutions.
Stating that he had received representations from parents, educators and public organisations seeking continuation of the long-standing educational tradition, Rangasamy requested the Ministry to evolve a balanced solution that would uphold national educational objectives while preserving Puducherry’s unique linguistic and cultural heritage.
He also suggested evolving a flexible mechanism within the CBSE framework to enable students to continue learning French without disruption.