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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to prioritise the interests of Tamil Nadu children over political gains amid the ongoing controversy over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). The Union Minister wrote on the social media platform X, “Yesterday DMK MPs and Chief Minister Stalin accused me of misleading Parliament about Tamil Nadu’s consent to set up PM Shri schools. I stand by my statement made in Parliament and am sharing the consent letter of Tamil Nadu School Education Department dated March 15, 2024.”
Union Education Minister asked – Why this sudden change in stance on NEP?
He said, “DMK MPs and Hon’ble CM can pile up as many lies as they want, but when the truth comes out, they cannot suppress it. The DMK government led by CM Stalin has a lot to answer to the people of Tamil Nadu. Raising the language issue as a diversionary strategy and denying facts as per their convenience will not save their regime.” The Education Minister further said, “Why this sudden change in stance on NEP? Certainly for political interests and to revive the political fortunes of the DMK. This regressive politics of the DMK is a great loss to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students. I humbly request the Hon’ble Chief Minister to not look at NEP 2020 from a political perspective. Please give priority to the interests of the children of Tamil Nadu over political gains.”
‘Opposition to NEP 2020 is linked to political gains’
The Union Education Minister has written, ”The DMK’s latest noise on language imposition and its stand on the three-language formula of NEP exposes its hypocrisy. The opposition to NEP 2020 is not linked to the preservation of Tamil pride, language and culture but to political gains. The DMK advocates the promotion of the Tamil language but, the truth is that they have done very little to promote and preserve Tamil language, literature and literary symbols.
- According to UDISE+ data, Tamil medium enrolment dropped from 65.87 lakh in 2018-19 to 46.83 lakh in 2023-24, a reduction of over 19.05 lakh students in a five-year period.
- 67% of students are now in English medium schools, while Tamil medium enrolment dropped from 54% (2018-19) to 36% (2023-24).
- In government schools, English medium enrolment increased fivefold from 3.4 lakh to 17.7 lakh in just five years.
- Tamil enrolment in government-aided schools fell by 7.3 lakh, indicating a deeper shift in preference.
‘DMK’s hollow rhetoric on NEP and language imposition’
He further wrote, “These numbers reveal the real story—Tamil medium enrolment has been steadily declining. This is not just a shift in language preference, it is a colonial mindset at play. English is seen as a status symbol and a gateway to jobs, while Indian languages are seen as a symbol of backwardness.” The education minister said, ”Encouraging education in mother tongue is one of the most important aspects of NEP 2020. DMK’s empty rhetoric on NEP and language imposition cannot hide their failure. Their agenda is clear politics and power at the cost of Tamil Nadu’s future.”
NEP ‘disastrous Nagpur plan’- Stalin
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin today termed the National Education Policy as the “disastrous Nagpur plan” and reiterated that the state will not accept it even if the central government provides Rs 10,000 crore. Addressing a government function in Chengalpet near Chennai, Stalin said, “Yesterday you must have seen the parliamentary proceedings on television. He is arrogantly saying that Rs 2,000 crore will be given to Tamil Nadu only if Hindi and Sanskrit are accepted. Who? That was Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.” He said the state was opposing the National Education Policy as it would completely destroy the development of education in Tamil Nadu.
