Union Min Accuses Stalin of Politicising NEP, CM Hits Out

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday reiterated the government's stance that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 "upholds the principle of linguistic freedom" and appealed to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin to not "politicise the issue", prompting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader to accuse the central government of blackmailing his government in the state.

- Sanjay Maurya

NEW DELHI:

A day after Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking release of funds for the sake of "cooperative federalism" and "welfare" of hundreds of thousands of students, Pradhan on Friday said that NEP "does not advocate the imposition of any language" on states.

"NEP 2020 upholds the principle of linguistic freedom and ensures that students continue to learn in the language of their choice. In fact, one of the core objectives of the policy is to revive and strengthen the teaching of Indian languages, including Tamil, which have been gradually side-lined in formal education over the decades," he said, calling the policy "a transformative vision" that seeks to elevate India's education system to global standards, and preserve the country's linguistic and cultural diversity.

"Let me unequivocally state that there is no question of imposing any language on any state or community," he posted on X in a 10-point response to Stalin's letter to PM Modi.

Stalin in his letter urged the central government to release ₹2,152 crore of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds for 2024-25 for the sake of "cooperative federalism" and "welfare" of hundreds of thousands of students, adding that their stand on two-language formula is "non-negotiable".

Pradhan termed Stalin's letter "a complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism", and appealed to him not "politicise education" and "rise above political differences" to empower students.