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MANGALURU: Starting this academic year, Konkani will be a third optional language for PUC students, if the state government gives its nod.
 Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy has already submitted its proposal with details to introduce Konkani as a third optional language for PU course in the state.
The academy is geared up to prepare textbooks through Karnataka Textbook Society for Konkani as third language in PUC.
 It may be recalled that all the 71 students from 10 high schools, who had opted Konkani as third language in SSLC in the previous academic year, had passed the exam with high scores. Of the 71 students, four children had written Konkani paper in Devanagari script and remaining in Kannada. Academy registrar Devadas Pai told TOI that the academy has prepared an outline, and the proposal to introduce Konkani as a third language will be discussed by the department of PU education at a meeting to be held in Bengaluru on Tuesday. "The academy will provide the necessary support including preparing textbooks, in association with the department. We have studied the textbook patterns of other languages. We will provide all expertise to decide on units to be included in the syllabus," he said, adding that the subject will be introduced next academic year.
 "We will communicate with managements of PU colleges to promote Konkani as a third language. The academy and the department of PU education will also provide training for lecturers to teach Konkani," Pai said.
 "The department has shown positive response in this regard, but they will not be appointing lecturers for the language. Colleges should take initiatives and the academy will provide necessary support, including training for the lecturers," he added. The academy has plans to introduce Konkani in at least 100 schools from class 6 to class 10.  It is also looking at increasing the number of students to 5,000 in coastal districts, Pai said.