Just in: The Supreme Court has slapped a notice on the Centre asking it to explain its decision to drop German as a third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas. The schools will now have to opt for Sanskrit.

Union HRD minister Smriti Irani had defended the move, saying the existing arrangement was in violation of the three-language formula. She, however, said German would continue to be taught as an "additional subject of hobby class".  She said she was unaware of today's SC notice.

The centre's decision has prompted German chancellor Angela Merkel to raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in Australia. Modi has assured her he would look at it within the confines of the Indian system.

The human resource development ministry's decision to drop the German language has affected over 70,000 students across 500 Kendriya Vidyalayas from classes VI to VIII, who are now supposed to be asked to switch from German to Sanskrit.

The 2011 memorandum of understanding that made German a third language was signed between the Kendriya Vidyalayas and Goethe Institute-Max Mueller Bhawan.