On April 29, 1994 the Karnataka state government issued an order stating that all private schools promoted after the date of the order should offer the mother tongue or Kannada as the medium of instruction in primary school (class I-IV). In 2003 primary school was redefined as class I-V.
On July 2, 2008 in its judgement in KAMS vs. State of Karnataka (Writ Petition No. 14363/1994), a three-judge bench of the Karnataka high court quashed clauses (2) (3) (6) and (8) of the order which stated:
Clause 2. The medium of instruction should be mother tongue or Kannada, with effect from the academic year 1994-95 in all government recognised schools in classes I-IV.
Clause 3. Students admitted to first standard (class I) with effect from the academic year 1994-95, should be taught in the mother tongue or Kannada medium.
Clause 6. Permission can be granted to only students whose mother tongue is English, to study in English medium in classes I-IV in existing recognised English medium schools.
Clause 8. It is directed that all unrecognised schools which do not comply with the above conditions, will be closed down.
In its sharply worded 318-page judgement the court inter alia observed: “If parents want their children to have primary education in English they are not committing any crime. It is not opposed to public policy. Choice of medium of instruction should be left to parents and children.”