Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has reiterated the central government’s commitment to implementing the National Education Policy (NEP), responding to allegations from Tamil Nadu’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government regarding language imposition and the non-release of funds for the policy’s implementation.
Pradhan stated, “To foster competition and create a level playing field among students, we need to establish a common platform. The NEP provides such a platform. I respect all languages, and under this policy, emphasis is placed on teaching in the mother tongue.”
He clarified that while Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world, there is no harm in Tamil Nadu students receiving a multilingual education, which could include Tamil, English, and other Indian languages. “There is no imposition of Hindi or any other language on them. Some political groups in Tamil Nadu are using this issue for political purposes. The government of India is committed to the NEP, which includes specific provisions for multilingual education,” Pradhan added.
The Minister further pointed out that some political parties oppose the NEP based on their own political interests, despite education being a concurrent subject on the constitutional list.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had criticized the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of trying to impose Hindi on the state. Stalin also claimed that the central government had failed to allocate sufficient funds to Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget and was negligent in addressing the aftermath of a recent cyclonic disaster.
“The Union government has not allotted funds for Tamil Nadu, and even our state’s name is missing from the budget. We requested funds after the cyclone, but only SDRF funds were given. Tamil Nadu’s people are observing these actions and will respond when the time comes,” Stalin told ANI.
He also accused the Union government of trying to impose Hindi through the NEP, a claim that was echoed by other DMK leaders. DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai lashed out at Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai for supporting Union Minister Pradhan’s comments on the NEP and rejected the necessity of studying Hindi.
“We don’t need Hindi. What use is it? Will it help us become doctors or professionals? We don’t need Hindi to understand the Prime Minister. Tamil Nadu is well-educated and has a global presence. There is no need to study Hindi,” Annadurai argued.
DMK MP Kanimozhi also criticized the Union government’s approach to language policy, stating, “The BJP needs to understand the difference between choosing a language as a preference and being forced to learn it when there’s no alternative.”
In response, Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai had criticized Chief Minister MK Stalin for opposing the three-language formula. He questioned why private schools, attended by ministers’ families, teach a trilingual curriculum while government schools should not follow suit.
Annamalai wrote on social media, “Shouldn’t government schools teach trilingualism—Tamil, English, and a third Indian language—just as private schools do?”
