Mangaluru: Second pre-university examinations will begin in the district Saturday with 37,337 students scheduled to appear, according to department of pre-university education (DPUE). Officials also noted a shift in language preferences, with Kannada registrations falling and English continuing to rise.DPUE data show Kannada registrations dropped from 21,313 last year to 20,709 this year. English rose from 32,130 to 35,710. Hindi remained the third choice with 10,712 registrations.
PU students must study two languages. Officials said choices vary by institution: govt college students typically opt for Kannada and English or another language, while those in aided and unaided colleges generally prefer English first, followed by Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu or French.Jayanand Suvarna, principal of Govt PU College, Shakti Nagar, and president of the Dakshina Kannada Pre-University Colleges Principals’ Association, said English clearly leads. “In the district, most students prefer English over Kannada,” he said.On Hindi, Suvarna said only one govt PU college in Balmatta offers the subject, so enrollment from govt institutions is minimal.Officials added that while students follow a fixed first- and second-language structure till class 10, the PU course offers flexibility to choose languages other than Kannada or English as permitted.Free transportMeanwhile, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced free travel for second PU students from Saturday. Students can avail the facility by showing their admit cards on KSRTC buses.
