PUDUCHERRY: Noting that the New Education Policy (NEP) will foster a sense of belonging and encourage learning in the Tamil language, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the Centre-backed policy aims at eliminating disparities in the education system. She was speaking at an event to mark the third anniversary of NP, on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering, Tamilisai said, "By departing from the previous policy, which followed the education framework of another state (Tamil Nadu), we are determined to enable every student in Puducherry to excel."
Responding to the DMK's criticism of the NEP, Tamilisai took a dig at 'Samacheer Kalvi' — implemented during the DMK's regime — and said that it never brought about equal opportunities in the education system. "Those who claim to champion the cause of Tamil, always placed their wards at big private schools where they learn other languages, but the wards of the poor are deprived of equal opportunities," she said.
Tamilisai also defended Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who was also present at the event, against the criticism of the Tamil Nadu Textbook Association President over the removal of Tamil from the curriculum. She said that the NEP encourages education in 22 languages within the CBSE curriculum. Condemning the association chief for calling Rangasamy a puppet, Tamilisai said that the union territory had made significant strides in education and medical sectors under the CM's leadership, with the latest climb from sixth to fourth position in a survey conducted by the Prime Minister's Personal Economic Division.
On the occasion, Tamilisai and the CM released a booklet on the progress of education in Puducherry. Rangasamy also defended NEP. Home and Education Minister A Namassivayam said, "There is an attempt to build a false narrative around the NEP by stating that Tamil is being ignored when the emphasis is on the contrary."