Don’t stand in the way of aspirations of students, Dharmendra Pradhan tells Tamil Nadu government

Three-language formula in National Education Policy: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urges Tamil Nadu government not to create impediments to aspirations of students in State.

Maintaining his position that the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 is different from the policy implemented by the Congress government in 1968, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urged the Tamil Nadu government not to create impediments to the aspirations of the students in the State.

Replying to a debate on the working of his Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, he said multilingualism was the order of the time. The NEP promoted learning in mother tongue up to Class 5, he reiterated.

He pointed out that in Tamil Nadu, enrolment in Tamil-medium schools had dropped in the last few years, while there was a jump in enrolment in English-medium schools. This indicated a “deep shift in preference”, he said.

On the controversy over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in various public universities, he said there was nothing new in it. He pointed fingers at the University Grants Commission guidelines on faculty appointments adopted in 2010, when the Congress-led UPA was in power, for the problems. He said if there was any need for changes in the guidelines, the Centre would consider it.

On the issue of three-language formula, he said the Centre never discriminated against anybody. “We are open to everybody,” he and expressed regret if his statements in the Lok Sabha on Monday hurt anybody. “But you have to face the truth and truth is bitter,” he said.

By launching the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, translating Tirukkural into various languages and establishing an International Centre on Thiruvalluvar at Singapore, the Narendra Modi government was taking all efforts to promote Tamil language. “You can call me a fool. But you cannot make the people of Tamil Nadu fools all the time. Please come out of these old ideas,” he said, and added that the Union Government did not need “anybody’s certificate” on its commitment to Tamil language.

Countering the criticism that the NEP was imposed on the States without even discussing in Parliament, he said the K. Kasturirangan committee consulted every stakeholder before drafting the NEP during the COVID pandemic.