The war of words by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the National Education Policy (NEP) continued on Monday as both the leaders used social media to reiterate their stand on the issue. Earlier, both had written letters to each other on issues such as schemes for school education.
Citing the Data Point Published in The Hindu that the Centre withheld Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’s funds to top performing States, Mr. Stalin asked: “Denying funds to the best-performing states for refusing to bow to the NEP, while generously rewarding those who are not delivering on the objectives – Is this how the Union BJP Government plans to promote quality education and equity? I leave it to the wisdom of our nation and our people to decide!”
Replying to this, Mr. Pradhan said healthy competition amongst the states is always welcome in a democracy. “However, pitting states against each other to make a point, goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the value of a unified India. NEP 2020 was formulated through wide range of consultations and has the collective wisdom of the people of India,” he said and asked Mr. Stalin if he is opposing education in mother tongue including Tamil.
“Are you opposing the conduct of exams in Indian languages including Tamil? Are you opposing the creation of textbooks and content in Indian languages including Tamil? Are you opposed to the holistic, multi-disciplinary, equitable, futuristic, and inclusive framework of the NEP? If not, I urge you to prioritise the interests of the students of Tamil Nadu over your political gains and implement the NEP,” Mr. Pradhan said.
Published - September 09, 2024 10:32 pm IST
