Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to release the pending funds for the state, asserting that Tamil Nadu remains firm on its two-language policy.Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier raised several questions regarding Tamil Nadu’s opposition to certain aspects of the New Education Policy (NEP). He questioned whether the state’s opposition to key reforms, such as education in the mother tongue, exams in native languages including Tamil, and creating a comprehensive curriculum for future students, was motivated by political considerations.
In response, Tamil Nadu’s Education Minister Mahesh highlighted the state’s historical stance:
“Tamil Nadu has fought for and protected the rights of the Tamil language since the 1930s, through various movements, up until the 1960s,” he stated. At the same time, he acknowledged that the state encourages its youth to gain proficiency in English, thus maintaining a firm commitment to the two-language policy, under which education continues to be imparted in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu insists that national-level examinations also be conducted in Tamil.
The state has been implementing several initiatives aimed at improving education.
While Tamil Nadu has already adopted various measures from the New Education Policy that align with its principles, it opposes specific provisions, such as the three-language policy and certain curricular changes.
The minister emphasised that the pending Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds should not be withheld due to political differences over the NEP. Instead, they should be released in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Through this, the minister reasserted Tamil Nadu’s strong stance on maintaining its linguistic and educational policies while calling for a fair and constitutional resolution on the release of funds.