NEW DELHI: The war of words between Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin intensified when Pradhan accused Stalin of attempting to create discord among states regarding the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).
This accusation followed Stalin's claims that the central government was withholding funds from states that had performed well but were resisting the adoption of the NEP.
Pradhan addressed these allegations on X, asserting that while healthy competition among states is valuable in a democratic setup, using it to drive a wedge between them contradicts the principles of the Constitution and the concept of national unity. He emphasised that NEP 2020 was developed through extensive consultations and represents a collective vision for the country’s education system.
"Healthy competition among states is always welcome in a democracy. However, pitting states against each other to make a point goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the value of a unified India. NEP 2020 was formulated through a wide range of consultations and embodies the collective wisdom of the people of India," Pradhan wrote on X.
Pradhan also challenged Stalin's "principled" opposition to the NEP, questioning whether his objections were related to issues such as education in Tamil, exams conducted in Indian languages, or the development of educational content in these languages.
“Are you against education in mother tongues, including Tamil? Do you oppose conducting exams in Indian languages such as Tamil? Are you against developing textbooks and content in these languages? Do you reject the NEP's holistic, multi-disciplinary, equitable, futuristic, and inclusive framework?” Pradhan asked.
Earlier on Monday, Stalin posted a news report on X regarding the Centre's reduction of Samagra Shiksha funds to states that resisted the NEP. He criticised this move, arguing that penalizing high-performing states for not adopting the NEP, while rewarding others, undermines the goal of promoting quality education and equity. Stalin emphasized that the ultimate decision on education policy should reflect the collective wisdom of the nation and its people.
"Denying funds to the best-performing states for refusing to bow to the #NEP, while generously rewarding those who are not delivering on the objectives—is this how the Union BJP Government plans to promote quality education and equity? I leave it to the wisdom of our nation and our people to decide! " wondered the Chief Minister on X.
