Chennai : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday urged the Tamil Nadu government to keep politics out of the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP).
He said the Centre’s initiatives, including funding support, aim to improve student welfare and educational opportunities and should not become political points of contention.
Addressing reporters at IIT-Madras, Pradhan noted that the state repeatedly raised the issue of education funding.
“I have spoken about this for the last two years and clarified it in Parliament. The entire country has accepted the NEP. The Centre allocates substantial funds to Tamil Nadu every year for education, including the mid-day meal scheme and other programmes,” he said.
Pradhan explained that Tamil Nadu’s Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and DMK MP Kanimozhi approached him regarding the release of funds.
“I clearly told them the state must agree to the Centre’s framework before we release funds under Samagra Shiksha. These funds serve students’ welfare and cannot become tools for political bargaining. Both sides should work with mutual respect,” he added.
The Minister criticised the DMK government for resisting the three-language policy, insisting that students should not lose learning opportunities due to political decisions.
“What is wrong with learning three languages? In Tamil Nadu schools, languages such as Telugu, Urdu, and Malayalam already feature in the curriculum. The NEP simply asks students to learn their mother tongue along with two other languages of choice. The Centre does not impose any particular language,” he asserted.
He also referred to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s suggestion that students learn up to ten languages, pointing out that multilingualism enhances knowledge and prospects.
At the IIT-Madras event, the Minister shared his wish to learn Tamil, calling it a vibrant and historic language.
“From Kashi to Tenkasi, people share common cultural roots. To learn many languages, one must first gain proficiency in the mother tongue. India has 30 crore students, yet nearly 30 per cent drop out after Class 12. We need fundamental reforms in school education to address this challenge,” he said.
–IANS
