CHENNAI: Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday categorically said that funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme will not be released for Tamil Nadu unless the state government accepts the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, in its entirety.
Pradhan accused the DMK government of acting out of political motivations and questioned why TN alone is resisting the policy when the rest of the country has implemented it. He was speaking to reporters at the inauguration of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi.
Pradhan claimed the TN government had initially agreed to the centre’s conditions but later withdrew. Claiming the non-release of funds was the state’s fault, he said, “They are politically motivated and not acting for the welfare of the people of TN.” Saying the state must adhere to constitutional norms, he said, “They cannot think they are above the constitution. They must accept the NEP in letter and spirit.”
On a question that pointed out the NEP includes implementation of the three-language policy, Pradhan asked if TN was against Tamil as the NEP emphasises that local language is the primary medium of instruction.
Anbil: Centre should not play politics in education
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said union government schools in TN already follow a three-language system. “If a student wants to learn Tamil, English and Kannada, what is wrong with that?” he asked.
Asked if the funds would be withheld indefinitely, he said it is based on the rule of law. He asked why the TN government wouldn’t follow the established framework of governance, and charged that “they are divisive people”.
Responding to the union minister’s remarks, TN School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters at Tiruchy airport that the union government should not play politics in matters related to education and demanded that the pending SS funds of Rs 2,158 crore be released immediately.
“Over 40 lakh students and 32,000 teachers depend on these funds, and withholding them directly affects their future. TN is spending Rs 76 crore each month and Rs 920 crore per year on teacher salaries from its own resources. Additionally, the state has to allocate Rs 400 crore annually for the Right to Education (RTE) scheme, a burden that is increasing due to the lack of central support,” he said.
Pointing out, as TNIE reported recently, that a result of withholding of funds has been the stalling of self-defense training for all government schoolgirls, he questioned the union government insistence on the implementation of the three-language policy in TN when the state’s two-language policy has been followed for decades without any negative impact.
“They are merely paving the path for another language war,” he said. Asked if the state would turn to the courts, he said Chief Minister MK Stalin would be consulted to decide whether to approach the courts for the release of funds.
Earlier, he posted on X, quoting former CM and DMK founder CN Annadurai’s words: “We are asking for rights, not a favour.
We ask for what is lost, not a loan. We are asking for what was snatched from us, not alms.” As long as those in the north fail to understand this, it is impossible to suppress their arrogance, he added.