61.6% schools in India offer three languages, only 3.2% in Tamil Nadu Premium

Tamil Nadu opposes three-language policy, debate over language imposition escalates, affecting education funding.

Story so far: Firmly opposed to the ‘three language’ clause in the Centre’s National Education Policy, Tamil Nadu ranks the lowest among India’s large states in implementing in schools. Only 1905 (3.2%) schools in Tamil Nadu offered three languages, while 35,092 (59.8%) schools offered two languages and 21,725 (37%) schools offered a single language, revealed Centre in reply to a query by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in Lok Sabha on March 24, 2025. 

Overall, 9,06,225 (61.6%) schools in India offer three languages, 4,16,601(28.3%) schools offer two and 1,49,065 (10.1%) schools offer only one language. Among the populous States, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of schools offering three languages - 82.8% (2,11,114), followed by Maharashtra 68.7% (74,342), Rajasthan 65.1% (70,148), Madhya Pradesh 55.4% (68,388), Karnataka 76.4% (57,950) and Gujarat 97.6% (52,357). In the southern States, Kerala has 11,367 (71.7%) schools offering three languages, Andhra Pradesh has 26,696 (43.5%) schools while Telangana has 26,828 (62.5%) schools. 

In another reply, Centre revealed that school enrollment in three-language schools stood at 74.7%. Large States having highest enrollment in these schools are Gujarat (97.6%), Karnataka (89.5%), Telangana (89.3%), Maharashtra (87%) and Uttar Pradesh (81%). The lowest among the large States is Tamil Nadu (10.8%), followed by Bihar (58%), Assam (58.6%), Jharkhand (59%). 

The reply comes amid a raging debate between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government which has vehemently refused to implement the three-language policy. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had accused his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin of trying to create divisions based on region and language for vote bank. 

“The country should not be divided on the basis of language or region. Every Indian has respect and reverence for Tamil because many elements of Indian heritage are still alive in the language. So, why should we hate Hindi?,” asked Mr. Adityanath in an ANI interview.

In retaliation, Mr. Stalin said,” We don’t oppose any language; we oppose imposition and chauvinism. This is a battle for dignity and justice”. 

Centre’s reply also revealed that states with more number of schools teaching languages are not concentrated to one particular region. North-eastern States like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have a substantially larger number of schools teaching two languages rather than three.