‘Rise Above Political Differences’: Centre, Stalin Square Off In NEP Row

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, urging the state to reconsider its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP is designed to be flexible and should not be viewed through a political lens, Dharmendra Pradhan said, calling the policy “a transformative vision that seeks to elevate India’s education system to global standards while preserving and strengthening our linguistic and cultural diversity.”

What Dharmendra Pradhan Said In His Letter To MK Stalin

Dharmendra Pradhan said in his letter to MK Stalin that there was “no question of imposing any language upon any state or community” as linguistic freedom remains a core principle of the policy. He further wrote, “The continued opposition to NEP 2020 for political reasons deprives students, teachers, and educational institutions in Tamil Nadu of the immense opportunities and resources that this policy offers.”

Requesting the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its stance, Dharmendra Pradhan stated, “I would, therefore, request you to rise above political differences and look into the matter holistically, keeping in mind the interest of our young learners.”

What MK Stalin Said In His Letter To PM Modi
Earlier, MK Stalin shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating his objections to the National Education Policy. The Tamil Nadu CM said that linking Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and PM SHRI Schools with the National Education Policy is ‘fundamentally unacceptable.’ Seeking the immediate release of Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), MK Stalin expressed deep concern over Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks, which suggested that the funds would not be released unless Tamil Nadu implements the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“This has created immense anxiety and unrest among students, political parties, and the general public in our state,” he said in his letter.

Reiterating Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the NEP, MK Stalin said at the government welfare program assistance ceremony at Cuddalore today, “I wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi to release funds which are for our students and teachers. Today, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written a reply letter in which he advises not to do politics in education. I ask, who is doing politics in education? Is it you or us? Is it not politics when you blackmail by saying that if only triple language is implemented in a state, the fund will be released? Is it not politics in the name of education; imposing hindi is not politics? You (Dharmendra Pradhan) should think whether it’s you doing politics or us.”

Why Is Tamil Nadu Opposing NEP 2020
The Centre and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the implementation of NEP in the state. The Dravidian parties have framed the NEP policy as an “existential battle over language and identity”. The Dravidian movement, which gave rise to both the DMK and the AIADMK, was built on the principle of linguistic self-determination and its leaders championed Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy of Tamil and English for decades.

In 2020, when the NEP was launched, the then AIADMK CM Palaniswami rejected the three-language formula. As Tamil Nadu is headed for the Assembly polls in a little over one year, the DMK has doubled down on its criticism of the NEP and the three-language formula. The DMK has opposed reforms proposed by the NEP including the common entrance exams for undergraduate admissions, common exams for Classes III, V, and VIII, and four-year degree programme with multiple exit options.