New Delhi: Centre-run Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) have allowed their students who wish to study Spanish, French, Mandarin or German as an additional language to opt for these provided there are at least 15 students who wish to pursue the same.

"In a recent meeting, it has been decided KV students should be allowed to study these four languages as additional languages keeping in mind their importance as they are spoken by large populations globally, " a senior official said.

A row had erupted last year between the HRD ministry and KVS when a MoU to renew collaboration for the teaching of German in the schools came up for renewal. The ministry in a bid to promote Sanskrit had held the MoU back arguing that teaching German as a third language instead of Sanskrit was a violation of the Three Language Formula as enunciated in the National Education Policy.

The issue was resolved with a Joint Declaration of Intent signed in October between the HRD Ministry and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany aiming at the promotion of the teaching of German as an additional foreign language and also the teaching of modern Indian languages in German institutions.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani had on Monday, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, said that students from classes VI to VIII of KVs who are desirous of learning German are allowed to study it as an additional subject provided at least 15 or more students in a school opt for the same.

(With inputs from agencies)