Dharmendra Pradhan in attack mode against DMK over NEP; says Tamil enrolment declining in TN schools

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by criticism from the opposition, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday again attacked the Tamil Nadu government over its stand on the new National Education Policy (NEP), accusing it of creating "fear psychosis" about the three-language formula while doing little to promote Tamil in the state. Tamil language is declining and colonial language is increasing in Tamil Nadu government schools, he said and asserted the central government is not trying to impose any language on any state.

Pradhan said 67 per cent of students are now in English medium schools in the state, while Tamil medium enrolment has dropped from 54 per cent (2018-19) to 36 per cent (2023-24). Tamil enrolment fell by 7.3 lakh in government-aided schools, reflecting a deep shift in preference. He called on the DMK government to support multilingualism to cater to the demands of the outside world and appealed to it to think of the interests of the students of the state before taking a decision on the implementation of the NEP.

Replying to a debate on the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan said that the country wants to progress with Tamil Nadu as its growth engine. He noted that youngsters from Tamil Nadu should not be denied the opportunity to grow and that he is ready to face any personal attacks from the DMK government. The minister said that while the students are increasingly opting for English in the state, the Tamil Nadu government is questioning the need for the three-language formula.

Decline of Tamil in schools

Pradhan asserted that his government doesn't need any certificate from anyone about its commitment to the Tamil language. "Nobody is imposing anything on anyone. This is a democratic society and the order of the time is you have to be multilingual," Pradhan said. Noting that he is proud of Tamil, which is an ancient language, he asked what was the Tamil Nadu government's opposition to the NEP. "I am proud of the Tamil language. What is your opposition to NEP? It is advocating that the medium of instruction till class 5 should be Tamil language. We are promoting Sengol and that is our understanding of the Tamil language," Pradhan said.

Tamil language is declining and colonial language is increasing in Tamil Nadu government schools, he said. "Don't create fear psychosis. Nobody is imposing anything on you," Pradhan said while urging the state government not to deprive the youth of the NEP. "In Tamil Nadu, the medium of instruction should be Tamil. This is in NEP. I am not against English. The student has to go to the international market. They must learn and understand English as we have to compete globally.

"But, for critical understanding, the mother tongue is primary and that is the primary precondition of national education policy. Up to 5th standard, mother tongue orientation education is a must, and that is what NEP says," the minister stated. He said as per the NEP, it is up to the students to take up Tamil language as per their choice after class 8th. "I fail to understand that in Tamil Nadu, those who are advocating two language formulas, in their own government schools Tamil language is declining and colonial language is increasing. This is an alarming thing... don't create fear psychosis. Nobody is imposing anything on you," Pradhan noted.

PM Shree and Sanskrit debate

Pradhan stated that it was not his intention to hurt anybody. "I appeal to my colleagues from Tamil Nadu, let them abuse me personally, today the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has said that PM Shree means Sanskrit... We have to take India to new heights and we will take forward the country under Tamil Nadu," he stated. Attacking the DMK government, he said: "You cannot make a fool of Tamil Nadu people. I am ready to accept but don't deny the opportunity for youngsters of Tamil Nadu. Don't be so sematic, don't be so small.

Please come out of old ideas. We all have to create a new country." Later in a post on X, Pradhan said that "DMK’s latest cacophony on language imposition and its stance on NEP’s three-language formula exposes their hypocrisy. "Opposition to NEP 2020 has nothing to do with preservation of Tamil pride, language and culture but everything to do with gaining political dividends. "DMK bats for promotion of Tamil language. But, the truth is that they have done little to promote and preserve Tamil language, literature and literary icons," he said. The Tamil Nadu government and the Centre have been at loggerheads over implementation of the new National Education Policy and three-language formula proposed in the policy.

Tamil Nadu’s U-Turn on NEP

Pradhan's remarks in the Lok Sabha on Monday created a furore when he said the state government was "dishonest" and accused it of doing a U-turn on the issue of implementing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. DMK members accused Pradhan of insulting Tamil Nadu prompting him to withdraw the remarks. The state concerned has to sign an MoU with the central government that it would implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and in return, the central government provides the funds. Pradhan on Tuesday said he stands by his statement about Tamil Nadu's "U-turn" on implementing NEP.

Attacking DMK, Pradhan alleged that the party cannot preach anyone and recalled how late AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa was insulted on the floor of the House in Tamil Nadu. "Nobody has the right to outrage the modesty of a senior leader like Jayalalithaa," he said. "We don't need a certificate from anyone that we are committed to the Tamil language or not... the truth always enlightens many people but pinches a few. Truth is always painful," he stated. Pradhan stated that the Modi government wants to be the Vishwa Bandhu and not Vishwa Guru as propagated by few. "We don't have to be Vishwa Guru, but Vishwa Bandhu. These are Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words," he asserted.

50,000 Atal tinkering labs planned

Pradhan said the central government has decided to set up 50,000 Atal tinkering labs in the next five years. In the coming times, such labs would be set up on a pro-rata basis based on population, he said. "One of the major recommendations of NEP is on how to see India's heritage and culture. But, we don't want to impose anything on anyone. We have the mandate of people on how we should view our country's heritage," the minister said.

Certificates and degrees have their own importance, but capability and skills are also important, he added. Pradhan said that India is a multilingual country. He said that NCERT has created primers in 104 languages to enable students to be literate and enable better studying. Pradhan also stated that the enrollment of education has risen and the gross enrolment ratio has seen maximum growth in the last few decades. Education and skill development have to be together and a roadmap has to be prepared to keep up with the aspirations of children in the country, he said.