Why in news?

The Union Government has withheld ₹2,152 crore in Samagra Shiksha funds from Tamil Nadu for refusing to join the PM SHRI scheme due to its opposition to implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

While the State is willing to participate in PM SHRI, it rejects the NEP’s three-language formula, preferring its longstanding two-language policy.

Centre insists on compliance, citing constitutional alignment, but Tamil Nadu government refuses to yield, calling it “blackmail” and questioning the constitutional basis of such mandates.

What’s in today’s article?

• Three-Language Formula in NEP 2020
• Opposition to this policy in Tamil Nadu
• Perceived Imposition of Hindi
• The Way Forward

Three-Language Formula in NEP 2020

• NEP 2020 retains the three-language formula, originally introduced in the 1968 NEP.
• However, unlike the earlier policy, which mandated Hindi across India, NEP 2020 provides more flexibility without imposing any specific language on States.
• Language Flexibility and Choice
  • The policy allows States, regions, and students to choose the three languages, ensuring that at least two are native to India.
  • This means non-Hindi-speaking States are not necessarily required to adopt Hindi.
• Emphasis on Bilingual Education
  • NEP 2020 promotes bilingual teaching, encouraging instruction in the home language/mother tongue along with English.
• Role of Sanskrit
  • The policy highlights Sanskrit as an optional language within the three-language framework, giving it special emphasis.

Opposition to this policy in Tamil Nadu

• Tamil Nadu has a long history of resisting the imposition of Hindi.
• In 1937, the Justice Party opposed the Rajaji-led Madras government’s attempt to make Hindi compulsory in schools.
  • Protests led to the deaths of two activists, Thalamuthu and Natarajan, and the policy was eventually withdrawn.
• 1965 Anti-Hindi Agitation
  • In 1965, violent protests erupted in Tamil Nadu against making Hindi the sole official language, resulting in at least 70 deaths.
  • The unrest resurfaced in 1968 when the Parliament mandated Hindi teaching under the three-language formula.
• Dravidian Movement’s Stand
  • In 1968, the DMK government under C.N. Annadurai passed a resolution rejecting the three-language formula, reinforcing Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy of Tamil and English.
  • Since then, successive governments have opposed any changes to this policy.
• Recent Opposition and Policy Adjustments
  • In 2019, strong resistance from Tamil Nadu led to the removal of mandatory Hindi learning from the draft NEP proposed by the Kasturirangan Committee.
  • The State continues to uphold its two-language system, resisting any attempts to introduce Hindi in schools.

Perceived Imposition of Hindi

• Political parties and activists in Tamil Nadu see the three-language policy as a covert attempt to impose Hindi.
• They argue that practical constraints, such as the lack of resources for additional language teachers, would naturally lead to Hindi being the default third language.
• Government Actions Fueling Suspicion
  • The Union Government’s promotion of Hindi, including a ₹50 crore allocation in 2019 for appointing Hindi teachers in non-Hindi-speaking States, has reinforced concerns.
  • Critics point out the lack of similar efforts to promote south Indian languages in northern schools or Kendriya Vidyalayas.

The Way Forward

• A constructive dialogue and a practical compromise between the Centre and Tamil Nadu are essential.
• Education, moved to the concurrent list during the Emergency, requires cooperative policymaking.
• Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy has yielded strong outcomes in enrolment and dropout rates.
• Disagreements over the three-language policy should not obstruct crucial funding for Samagra Shiksha.