The Telangana government on Tuesday announced that all educational institutions in the state will have to teach Telugu as a compulsory subject from Class 1 to 12. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that only these institutions would be recognised and allowed to function.

The decision has been taken in the light of the World Telugu Conference, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from December 15 to 19.

However, Telugu would be optional for students who opt for Urdu as a compulsory language, a press release by the state government said.

Chief Minister Rao asked the Sahitya Academy in the state to prepare syllabi for primary and secondary schools. He said that only the syllabi prepared by the Sahitya Academy would be taught in schools.

Rao also asked all public and private establishments and institutions in Telangana to display their names in Telugu on signboards. He said a Cabinet resolution would soon be passed in this regard.