Amid language row, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin rolls out new education policy for state | Chennai News
NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing language row, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin rolled out the state’s new education policy on Friday.The State Education Policy (SEP) was prepared by a committee formed by the Tamil Nadu government and headed by retired high court Judge Justice D Murugesan, who submitted the report in 2024. This development comes against the backdrop of months of protests against the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced by the Centre.The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has strongly opposed the NEP, describing it as “against social justice” and an attempt to impose Hindi on the state. Tamil Nadu has categorically refused to adopt it.In May, the state moved the Supreme Court, alleging that around Rs 2,200 crore in central funds had been withheld as a consequence of its refusal to implement the NEP.In its plea, the state sought a declaration that the NEP 2020 and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme cannot be enforced upon it without its formal consent.The petition argued that funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme had been unlawfully linked to these central initiatives, calling the move “unconstitutional, arbitrary, and illegal.” It stated: “The glaring reason for such non-disbursement is that the Defendant has linked the release of Samagra Shiksha Scheme funds with the implementation of ‘National Education Policy’ and ‘NEP exemplary PM SHRI Schools’ Scheme, despite the fact that this policy / scheme are separate schemes.”“The reason for such apparent linkage is the MoU pertaining to the PM SHRI Schools Scheme, which dictates the implementation of the NEP-2020 in the Plaintiff State (Tamil Nadu) in its entirety — something the Plaintiff State opposes due to Clause 4.13 of the NEP-2020, which envisages the three-language formula.”Tamil Nadu is demanding the release of Rs 2,291.30 crore from the Centre, along with 6% annual interest on Rs 2,151.59 crore from May 1 until full payment. The state has also requested that the court direct the Centre to comply with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, by ensuring timely disbursal of its 60% share of grants-in-aid before each academic year.
