State universities in a fix as T.N. continues to oppose National Education Policy 2020

State universities in a fix as T.N. continues to oppose National Education Policy 2020

Higher educational institutions in Tamil Nadu are still clueless about whether or not they need to adhere to the guidelines of National Education Policy 2020 even as the 2025-26 academic year is set to start soon, going by the views expressed by heads of higher educational institutions.

Central government institutions and deemed to be universities have apparently taken a lead in adopting NEP 2020 guidelines, leaving behind the State-funded institutions, and are believed in a better position to secure higher rating under National Institutional Ranking Framework. Adoption of NEP 2020 guidelines helps secure better NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) rating as well, say heads of higher educational institutions.

In their view, the opposition of Tamil Nadu to NEP 2020 is mainly on the counts of three-language policy (at the school level) and structural changes made to the higher educational programmes.

The reasoning put forth is that the NEP encompasses three-language policy, which mandates the learning of two Indian languages (not necessarily Hindi) along with English.

According to P.K. Ponnuswamy, former Vice-Chancellor of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj Universities, three-language policy is not a necessity for Tamil Nadu. “English along with the local language will suffice. Yet, schools could be given the freedom to teach as many languages suiting necessity,” he said.

“While it is good to have a national policy on education, States, too, should be allowed to have their say, factoring in cultural variations and diverse history,” he said.

Nevertheless, experts also point out that learning multiple languages will promote multilingualism and expand students’ academic and career opportunities.