Soon, Pre-University science textbooks to be made available in Kannada

BENGALURU: Here is something for science students at a Pre-University level to cheer about. From the coming academic year, they will get translated textbooks for science courses in Kannada. The books are expected to be in market in the next 15 days. The textbooks in Kannada will help students from rural areas and Kannada medium background, and encourage more students to take up science.

Though hardly any college in the state offers science courses in Kannada medium, the translated textbooks will act as reference books for those who find it difficult to understand English."Due to lack of students taking up science in Kannada medium, most of the colleges have closed the Kannada medium sections in science course," said a senior official of the department of pre-university education (PUE).

PUE department director C Shikha said, "With the help of subject experts and senior faculty members, the translation work has been completed. The books will be supplied to government colleges across the state free of cost. Each government college offering science course will get two sets of Kannada translated books."

Similar exercise had failed in 2013-14

During 2013-14, the department had planned something similar. It had handed over the responsibility of translating textbooks to Hampi Kannada University. But, due to some technical issues, it could not be done. This time, with the help of lecturers working with various PU colleges across the  state, the department has successfully translated the books into Kannada. The books for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology subjects will be available soon.