Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared a letter showing Tamil Nadu was "very keen" to set up PM SHRI Schools, countering DMK's claims that he misled parliament.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Mar 12, 2025
Pradhan criticized the DMK government for "playing politics" over the three-language initiative in the New Education Policy, calling them "dishonest" in parliament.
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DMK initiated a privilege motion with MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu requesting action from the Lok Sabha Speaker, claiming Pradhan's statements were "factually incorrect."
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Pradhan posted a letter dated March 15, 2024, from the Tamil Nadu education department to prove his claims about the state's initial consent.
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DMK MP Kanimozhi clarified that Tamil Nadu agreed to PM SHRI Schools but with the condition that it would be based on committee recommendations.
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Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh refuted allegations of a sudden change in stance, stating the letter mentioned forming a committee first.
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Image Credit | @Anbil_Mahesh | X
The controversy centers around the NEP's three-language policy, which Tamil Nadu strongly opposes.
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Pradhan cited UDISE+ data showing Tamil medium enrollment dropped from 65.87 lakh to 46.83 lakh over five years, while English medium enrollment increased.
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According to Pradhan, 67% of students are now in English medium schools, with Tamil medium enrollment dropping from 54% to 36% between 2018-19 and 2023-24.
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PM SHRI (Schools for Rising India) is a centrally sponsored scheme aiming to develop over 14,500 schools with improved infrastructure and learning environments.