The Tamil Nadu government has strongly refuted Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s claims regarding the PM-SHRI scheme and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, citing his own letter as evidence. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin shared a letter dated August 30, 2024, from Pradhan, which clearly supports Tamil Nadu’s stance against the trilingual policy and NEP 2020.
In the letter addressed to CM Stalin, Pradhan referred to an earlier March 15, 2024, undertaking where Tamil Nadu had expressed willingness to sign the PM-SHRI MoU for the academic year 2024-25. However, he noted that after receiving the draft agreement, Tamil Nadu’s School Education Department modified the MoU through a letter on July 6, 2024—specifically removing the clause mentioning full implementation of NEP 2020.
Pradhan, in the letter, expressed his “surprise” at Tamil Nadu’s decision to drop the reference to NEP 2020, urging the state to implement the policy under PM-SHRI to develop government schools as model institutions. Despite his push, Tamil Nadu remained firm in rejecting the centralized education framework, emphasizing its commitment to the state’s existing policies.
This letter has now become a crucial counterpoint to the Centre’s accusations, proving that Tamil Nadu never agreed to implement NEP 2020 in its entirety. The state government continues to resist what it calls “political interference” in education, maintaining that the BJP-led Union government is attempting to impose its agenda on Tamil Nadu’s education system.