NEP upholds linguistic freedom: Dharmendra Pradhan
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan stressed that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 “upholds the principle of linguistic freedom” and “does not advocate the imposition of any language” on states, amid an ongoing political slugfest between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the three-language formula.
His statement comes a day after Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the central government to release ₹2,152 crore of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds for 2024-25 for “cooperative federalism” and “welfare” of students, adding that their stand on two language formula is “non-negotiable”.
In a 10-point response to Stalin’s letter, Pradhan appealed to him to not “politicise education” and “rise above political differences”. He also termed Stalin’s letter to PM Modi “a complete negation of the spirit of cooperative federalism, promoted by the Modi government.”
Pradhan said that NEP 2020 is not just a reform but “a transformative vision that seeks to elevate India’s education system to global standards while preserving and strengthening our linguistic and cultural diversity”.
“Let me unequivocally state that there is no question of imposing any language on any state or community. NEP 2020 upholds the principle of linguistic freedom and ensures that students continue to learn in the language of their choice. In fact, one of the core objectives of the policy is to revive and strengthen the teaching of Indian languages, including Tamil, which have been gradually side-lined in formal education over the decades,” Pradhan said while interacting with media persons in New Delhi on Friday.