Synopsis
On March 10, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized Tamil Nadu's opposition to the three-language policy, expressing the Central government's willingness to discuss the matter. This came after Tamil Nadu reversed its commitment to the PM Schools for Rising India scheme, prompting a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha.Key Takeaways
- Pradhan criticized Tamil Nadu's reversal on the PM SHRI MoU.
- He emphasized the Central government's readiness for dialogue.
- Tamil will remain the medium of instruction until the eighth grade.
- Pradhan cited examples of Congress states cooperating with the NEP.
- CM Stalin challenged Pradhan on fund releases.
New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) Labeling the resistance to the three-language policy as a political maneuver, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated in the Lok Sabha on Monday that the Central government is willing to engage in dialogue regarding the matter, even as Tamil Nadu reversed its position right before finalizing a MoU for the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) initiative.
He also alleviated concerns regarding supposed efforts to enforce a language in any region, including Tamil Nadu.
“Tamil will continue to be the medium of instruction until the eighth grade. In Tamil Nadu or any other state, no one is enforcing any language on anyone,” he remarked to reporters following an adjournment prompted by protesting DMK MPs.
Earlier, while addressing a query during the Budget Session's Question Hour, Pradhan accused the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government of reneging on its commitment to implementing the PM SHRI scheme in the state.
“We had discussions with the state, and at one point, the Tamil Nadu government was prepared to sign an agreement with the Centre, but it later reversed its stance,” he said, addressing DMK MP T. Sumathy’s allegations that the Central government was withholding funds for schools.
Sumathy claimed that the Central government was denying funds to the state for schoolchildren due to the Tamil Nadu government's opposition to the three-language approach under the National Education Policy (NEP).
The Minister noted that there are only 20 days left in the current fiscal year and expressed optimism that the funds would be allocated in accordance with regulations.
He mentioned that the state Education Minister and MP Sumathy had approached the Centre on the matter and even agreed to sign the MoU, but they subsequently took a U-turn.
Pradhan cited examples of Congress-led states such as Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, which are accepting the NEP despite some reservations, collaborating with the Centre on the PM SHRI.
He remarked that the non-BJP government in Punjab is also cooperating with the Centre, “but our counterparts in Tamil Nadu are not sincere and lack genuine commitment.”
“They are jeopardizing the future of Tamil students and engaging in political games with ulterior motives,” he stated.
Dismissing any claims of harassment against the Tamil Nadu government, he asserted that the Central government has allocated funds to the state for various initiatives, including the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana scheme.
He emphasized that the state must sign a MoU with the Central government to execute NEP 2020 to establish model schools under the PM SHRI scheme and exemplify the new policy.
Pradhan’s sharp critique of Tamil Nadu triggered protests by DMK MPs, leading to a half-hour adjournment of proceedings.
In related news, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin took to social media platform X and remarked, "You believe you are a king and speak with arrogance, but you need to learn to respect others. You are withholding funds from Tamil Nadu and humiliating our MPs instead."
CM Stalin also challenged Pradhan's decision to reject the PM SHRI MoU submitted by the Tamil Nadu government, stating, "You are the one who informed me that the MoU was declined. We value our people's opinions, unlike you, who are constrained by directives from Nagpur."
CM Stalin declared that Tamil Nadu will not adopt the Union government's educational proposals and called on Pradhan to clarify whether he will release the owed funds for Tamil Nadu students.
