Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday criticized Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for allegedly attempting to create divisions among states regarding the implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP). Pradhan’s remarks came in response to Stalin’s claims that the Central government is withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme from states that have refused to adopt the NEP, despite their strong performance.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Pradhan acknowledged the value of healthy competition among states in a democracy but warned against “pitting states against each other to make a point.” He challenged Stalin’s “principled” opposition to the NEP by posing a series of pointed questions: “Are you opposing education in mother tongue including Tamil? Are you opposing conduct of exams in Indian languages including Tamil? Are you opposing creation of textbooks and content in Indian languages including Tamil? Are you opposed to the holistic, multidisciplinary, equitable, futuristic, and inclusive framework of NEP?”
Pradhan’s response was triggered by a post from Stalin earlier in the day, in which the Tamil Nadu CM shared a news report on X highlighting the reduction of Samagra Shiksha funds by the Centre for states that have declined to implement the NEP.
The exchange between the two leaders underscores the ongoing debate over the NEP, which has faced opposition from various quarters in Tamil Nadu. The state’s government has expressed concerns that the policy undermines the federal structure of the education system and imposes a one-size-fits-all approach that may not be suitable for all states. However, the Centre has maintained that the NEP is designed to be inclusive, promoting education in regional languages and aiming to create a more holistic and multidisciplinary educational framework across the country.