The issue of hindi impression has been a longstanding point of contentment between the union government and the government of tamil nadu. The State Consistent Voiced Its Concerns over the import of hindi since 1930s. But, The Recent Resurgeence of the Debate Can Be Traced to Union Government’s Decision to WithHold 2,153 Crore due to Tamil Nadu’s Department of School Education Under The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Cited Tamil Nadu’s refusal to fully endorse the national education policy (nep) as the reason for the denial of funds. Chief Minister mk stalin condemned the denial of funds, terming it as an attempt to pressure tamil nadu into compulsion.
The Union Government’s Decision to withhlds Intended for Primary Education Raises CONCERNS Regarding Leverapping of Financial Allocations to Advance the Union Government ‘. It striks at the heart of India’s democratic and federal structure.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has a Consistent Vell-Founded Reservations Against the NEP, Particularly over Over Its Impact on State Autonomy.
First, the nep’s one-size-fits-short approach is fundamentally flwed for a country as diverse as India. India’s Diversity is not just cultural and linguistic, but also developmental. For instance, tamil nadu has 4,000 doctors per million inhabitants, compared to Gujarat’s 750 and bihar’s 637. Line, whereas the figures for Gujarat and Bihar study at 21.8% and 23.3%, responsible. Given Such Stark Variation, Imposing a Uniform Policy Across All Regions Stifling The Progress of Well-Performing States and Failing to Effective UPLIFT that LAGGING BEHIND. Education reforms, therefore, must be tailored to address the Specific Challenges and Strengths of Each State. States should have the freedom to design their own programs with accountable through measurable outstcomes, with funds related based based on performance benchmarks, not policy leverage.
A Major Point of Contension with the NEP is the important of the three-language formula, with Hindi positioned as the default third language. Tamil nadu has history rejected this formula, opting for its Own Well-Establed Two-Manguage System. The nep’s insurance on a third language does not consider the logistical challenges of its implementation – Recruiting language teachers for multiple language in Every School is not a PRACTICAL SOCTION, GIND State of India’s Education Infrastructure. For instance, as of February 2024, Gujarat reported that 1,606 Primary Schools operated with only one Teacher and Had over 19,000 Teacher vacancies. Under the nep, in government schools where students are, theoretically, Given a choice of their third language, preferences extended across multiple languages. This would require each school to hire additional language teachers – adding approximately 6 Lakh Per Teacher Per Annum to the State’s Spending While Aggravating Existing Teacher Vacancies. In such a Scenario, Hindi would Inevitally become the default Third language, leading to what many personal perceive as an indirect impression. If language learning is demed Necessary, Why Limit Students to Indian Languages? Given India’s Aspirations to become a global powerhouse, Proficency in Foreign Languages - Such as French, Chinese, Spanish, or Russian – Would Open far Greater International OPPORTUNTIES FOR Stud Thereby enriching their education and broadening their horizons.
The NEP’s 5+3+3+4 System, which introduces public examinations in class 5 and class 8, Raieses Further Concerns. Research by the World Bank Indicates that Early Public Exams Contribute Significantly to Dropout Rates, Particularly Among Girls in Developing Economies. Tamil Nadu, with its high literacy rate, especially among girls, have chown a different path, introducing public exams only after the 10th grade. This policy has helped maintain a high gross enrollment ratio (geer) for girls in Senior Secondary Education. The NEP’s approach directly contradicts this model, undermining its own goal of fostering inclusivity and improving Educational outcomes.
The nep also represents a broader encroachment on the rights of states by the union government. Education is a Subject on the Concurrent List, which allows bot the union and state governments to share responsibility. However, the Union Government’s Increasing Efforts at Centralization, Including Throughing withhlding of Funds and Through Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), Undermine State Autonomy and EROODE FEDE FEDEREDE Opposition-LED State Governments, Including Tamil Nadu, Have raised Alarms About This Discrimination, with CSS Being Used to bypass State-Level Initiatives.
India is an unparaleled experience in pluralism, and imposing unity through excessive uniformity is not only counterproductive but potentially dangerous. Tamil nadu’s resistance to the nep is not an act of defiance but a principled stand for the preservation of federalism and rational policymaking that results regional diversity.
Salem dharanidharan is a spokesperson of the dravid munnetra kazhagam. The views expressed are personal
