Chennai– The Tamil Nadu government’s open opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) has been a loud and clear stance—at least in public. But behind the curtains, it appears the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government has been playing a different tune. An official letter dated March 15, 2024, signed by Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, has now surfaced, revealing that the state was, in fact, eager to implement PM SHRI Schools under the Centre’s flagship scheme.
The letter, addressed to Thiru Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of School Education & Literacy, Government of India, explicitly states that Tamil Nadu is “keen” on signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish PM SHRI Schools in the state. A state-level committee had already been formed to oversee the process, and the MoU was set to be signed at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year.
This revelation raises a fundamental question—if Tamil Nadu was always willing to be part of the scheme, why the public posturing against the National Education Policy (NEP)?
NEP Politics vs. Ground Reality
The DMK has repeatedly criticized NEP, calling it an attempt to impose the “Hindi-Hindutva” agenda on non-Hindi-speaking states. It has vowed to reject the policy and even announced the formulation of a separate State Education Policy in response. But now, with this letter out in the open, it’s clear that Tamil Nadu is willing to accept central funding for PM SHRI Schools—a scheme aligned with the NEP’s vision of modernizing education with a holistic approach.
So, was the DMK’s anti-NEP rhetoric just a political charade for the public while it quietly embraced the policy behind closed doors?
The Funding Angle: No Resistance When Money Flows
Another interesting detail in the letter is Tamil Nadu’s request for the release of the third and fourth installments of central funds for the financial year 2023-24. While the DMK may publicly criticize the Centre’s policies, it certainly has no hesitation in accepting the money that comes with them. The contradiction couldn’t be more glaring.
Dharmendra Pradhan Calls Out the Hypocrisy
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wasted no time in highlighting this double standard. Sharing the letter on social media, he questioned why Tamil Nadu’s government was opposing NEP publicly while implementing its programs privately. His post sent shockwaves across political circles, sparking debates about whether Tamil Nadu’s education policies are driven by ideology or opportunism.
What’s Next?
With this letter now in the public domain, the DMK faces a credibility crisis. Will the state government acknowledge its quiet acceptance of PM SHRI Schools, or will it continue its anti-NEP rhetoric while benefiting from the Centre’s initiatives?
The coming days will likely see more political fireworks, but one thing is clear—the truth has a way of surfacing, no matter how hard one tries to bury it.