As the row regarding the National Education Policy (NEP), continues to escalate, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan has redoubled his stance that the Tamil Nadu government had agreed to implement the NEP in full, including the contested three language policy—viewed in the state as an indirect means of imposing Hindi.
Dharmendra released a letter from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department dated March 15, 2024, expressing interest in signing an MoU to establish PM SHRI schools in the state after consultations with a state level committee. PM SHRI or the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India initiative was launched under the NEP in 2023 by the Union government aiming to modernise schools and implement learning opportunities through field studies, collaborations with other institutions, etc.
Dharmendra further claimed in his statement that the Tamil Nadu government is “Raking up the language issue as a diversionary tactic and denying facts as per their convenience.” He added that, “This retrograde politics of DMK is a great disservice to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students.” Dharmendra further asked why there was an alleged “sudden change in stance” from the state government
However, the Tamil Nadu government has pointed out that their letter is “not an endorsement of the NEP”. In a statement, state Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, “There is no ‘sudden change in stance’. Tamil Nadu engages with central schemes only when beneficial to students, but that doesn’t mean blind acceptance of any scheme or framework. The letter clearly states that a committee will be constituted and based on the findings and recommendations of the committee, we will decide on the implementation.”
Anbil further added, “If anyone is playing politics, it’s those who are trying to impose NEP and distort Tamil Nadu’s culture and legacy. What we need from you is to please understand that the diversity of India is its strength not weakness.By acknowledging and supporting Tamil Nadu’s right to choose what is best for the future of its children you will actually be doing a great service to the future of Tamil Nadu and its students.”
The Pm Shri website does not say that states have to implement NEP fully for the funds to be released. It is only recently that the union government withheld funds claiming TN has not accepted the NEP fully. TNM has reported earlier on how the Union government has been giving ad hoc reasons and conditions for releasing certain funds.
This exchange between Dharmendra and Anbil is only the latest in the ongoing stand off between the Union and Tamil Nadu governments regarding the NEP and the three language policy.
Earlier this week, Dharmendra drew widespread ire for referring to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs as “undemocratic and uncivilised” in Parliament. Many in the state claimed that his remarks were an insult to Tamil Nadu. Pradhan later apologised and withdrew his comments, but insisted that the Tamil Nadu government had agreed to implement the NEP.
At the time, Chief Minister MK Stalin had shared a letter from Dharmendra dated August 2024. In the letter, Dharmendra had said that the Tamil Nadu government had given an undertaking indicating their willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the PM SHRI scheme. However, he continues in the letter, when such an agreement had been sent to Tamil Nadu, “the state responded with a modified MoU, wherein the key paragraph referring to the implementation of NEP 2020 in entirety has been dropped.”
Sharing this letter, Stalin had said that the Tamil Nadu government had never agreed to implement the NEP in full.
In February this year, Dharmendra had drawn widespread criticism for saying that funds for the Union government’s Samagra Siksha education scheme would only be released to the states that implement NEP. Both the DMK and opposition parties in the state had condemned his remarks at the time.