The Sikkim High Court, on September 24, 2025, heard the report of the Linguistic Oversight Expert Committee, which was formed pursuant to the order dated 21.07.2025, following the PIL filed by the petitioner challenging the exclusion of certain Nepali consonants from the curriculum of the respondent University. Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder and Judge Meenakshi Madan Rai accepted the report and issued directions to ensure the protection and preservation of the Nepali language for future generations.
The petitioner had filed a PIL challenging the omission of certain Nepali consonants (“ण, श, ष, ड़, ढ़”) from the curriculum and educational materials used at the respondent University.The petitioner contended that this omission compromised the linguistic integrity, academic accuracy, and preservation of the Nepali language, which is widely spoken in Sikkim. The Court then constituted a “Linguistic Oversight Expert Committee” comprising eminent scholars and language experts in Nepali linguistics, phonetics, pedagogy, and curriculum design. The Committee submitted a detailed report recommending the reinstatement of the omitted consonants, noting that it was essential for conserving and preserving the Nepali alphabet for future generations. The report also advised continuous monitoring of Nepali language usage across universities, schools, publications, and media to maintain linguistic accuracy.
The Committee’s report was accepted by the Court, and the following directions were given to the respondents:
• The Committee’s recommendation shall be promptly implemented by the respondents, with the Nepali consonants “ण, श, ष, ड़, ढ़” being reinstated in the curriculum, and the necessary corrigenda issued by the authors; any books that are not updated shall not be used for teaching.
• Upon completion, the Committee shall be informed by the respondents that the directions have been fully complied with.
• The use of the Nepali language across universities, colleges, schools, publications, and both print and social media shall continue to be monitored by the Committee.
• Full support and cooperation shall be provided to the Committee by the State of Sikkim in carrying out its mandate.
Accordingly, the PIL was disposed of by the Court with the above directions.
Appearances:
For the Petitioner : Advs- Mr. Kazi Sangay Thupden, Mr. O.P. Bhandari, Mr. Sajal Sharma, Ms. Prerana Rai, Ms. Srijana Bagdas and Mr. Gyaltsen Barfungpa
For the Respondent : Adv. Bhusan Nepal (R!), Advs- Ms. Sangita Pradhan, Deputy Solicitor General of India assisted by Ms. Sittal Balmiki and Ms. Natasha Pradhan (R2), Advs- Mr. Zangpo Sherpa, Additional Advocate General with Mr. Sujan Sunwar, Assistant Government (R3)
