Former Chief Minister and expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam on Sunday criticized the Tamil Nadu government for not providing free Tamil textbooks to children of non-resident Tamils (NRTs) studying in Tamil medium schools across India and abroad.The state has long supplied textbooks to NRT students through Tamil associations to promote the language. However, this year, only 10 copies per association are being sent free, due to rising material costs and wages, according to officials of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTESC).
Panneerselvam said that while Chief Minister M.K. Stalin boasts of double-digit economic growth, his government struggles to provide textbooks worth just âč50 lakh to NRT students. He warned that this could even lead to the closure of Tamil medium institutions outside Tamil Nadu.
He demanded that TNTESC bear the full cost and continue the long-standing practice of supplying free textbooks. Panneerselvam called for immediate intervention by the Chief Minister to ensure that NRT children have access to Tamil textbooks and can continue learning their mother tongue.