Tamil Nadu's NEW Education Policy submitted to CM

On Monday, the Justice Murugesan-led panel handed to the governing DMK government a draft of the state education policy, which has been in the works in Tamil Nadu in opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

After forming the government in 2021, Chief Minister MK Stalin declared during their first budget that they would develop an education program specifically for Tamil Nadu. In 2022, he formed a team of specialists from several professions, led by retired Justice D Murugesan, who diligently worked on this project. 

The administration has yet to issue the report. A senior committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that they had delivered a comprehensive 550-page report in English and a 600-page report in Tamil to CM Stalin. The members have proposed that Tamil Nadu maintain its dual-language policy of Tamil and English as mediums of instruction and remove public examinations for grades 3, 5, and 8, after thorough consideration. 

The DMK has particularly opposed the NEP’s language policy, and Stalin had earlier vowed to continue with the dual language policy in the state, which has been in place since 1967. “We have travelled across the state and incorporated inputs from teachers, students, NGOs, former vice-chancellors and teacher associations,” a second member of the committee said, not wishing to be named, highlighting the democratic process of decision-making.

The 13-member group, which includes Viswanathan Anand, an Indian chess grandmaster, TM Krishna, a singer and activist, and L Jawahar Nesan, a former vice-chancellor of Saveetha University, brings a wealth of expertise to the table.

The committee, which has been the subject of intense scrutiny, was controversial. Last year, Nesan’s two-page press statement announcing his resignation due to alleged meddling by top IAS officers sparked a heated debate. 

“As a result, the committee is spearheaded towards formulating the state education policy on the footsteps of the National Education Policy, 2020,” Nesan had alleged then.

“Therefore, the final policy will be nothing but the rechristened version of the National Education Policy, driven by the interests of corporate and market forces….”

An official of the state education department added that the state’s policy should be based on the history of educational practices in Tamil Nadu, the current situation, and its future goals.