Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy and its opposition to Hindi imposition: a package

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan links Samagra Shiksha funds to NEP acceptance in Tamil Nadu, sparking controversy. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin affirmed that the State will stick to two-language policy and would oppose Hindi imposition through three-language policy.

The Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, while speaking to journalists at the inauguration of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi on February 15, 2025, categorically said that funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme would not be released for Tamil Nadu unless the State accepts National Education Policy (NEP) in its entirety. He further said Tamil Nadu must adhere to constitutional norms and that the State cannot think it is above the Constitution. These comments of Mr. Pradhan opened a can of worms.

Reacting sharply, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, in various instances, affirmed that the State will stick to two-language policy and would vehemently oppose imposition of Hindi through the three-language policy mooted by NEP. The Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami also came in support of the DMK government’s stance.