New Delhi, April 4 Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin over his criticism of the three-language formula, saying the narrative of "imposition" is a "tired attempt" to mask political failures.
Pradhan said misrepresenting a progressive and inclusive reform as "linguistic imposition" was aimed at creating unnecessary apprehension and confusion.
Earlier in the day, Stalin said the three-language formula was a "covert" mechanism to expand Hindi into non-Hindi-speaking regions. He alleged that the CBSE's curriculum framework, aligned with the NEP-2020, was a "calculated" and "deeply concerning" attempt at linguistic imposition.
Responding to the criticism, Pradhan said, "The National Education Policy, 2020, is, in fact, a manifesto for linguistic liberation. It prioritises the mother tongue so every Tamil child can excel in their own glorious language."
"By misrepresenting a flexible policy as compulsory Hindi, you are not defending Tamil; you are creating barriers that deny our youth the opportunity to become multilingual global leaders," he said in a post on X.
The minister said portraying multilingualism as a threat was misplaced, adding that Tamil would be enriched and not weakened when its speakers become multilingual, confident, and linguistically empowered.
Pradhan said the NEP upholds constitutional principles by promoting all languages equally and also addresses the limitations of the existing two-language system.
It also focuses on implementation through initiatives such as Samagra Shiksha, teacher training, and strengthening institutions like District Institute of Education and Training, along with national frameworks such as the National Professional Standards for Teachers and the National Mission for Mentoring.
"Your questions on reciprocity ignored the ground reality. While the Union government actively encourages students across India to embrace Indian languages, your government continues to deprive Tamil students of diverse opportunities for the sake of a divisive vote bank narrative," he said.
Pradhan further attacked Stalin -- the chief of the DMK -- and alleged that his government had stalled the establishment of PM-SHRI schools in Tamil Nadu by refusing to sign the required Memorandum of Understanding, despite earlier commitments.
"This deliberate resistance is not merely administrative defiance; it is a direct disservice to lakhs of underprivileged students who stand to benefit from quality, merit-based residential education," he said.
"This has effectively withheld modern infrastructure and teachers from its own students. The Union government remains fully committed to funding and teacher training, but progress is being held back by your dishonest politics," he added.
Pradhan said by mischaracterising a progressive, inclusive reform as "linguistic imposition", the Tamil Nadu chief minister was creating unnecessary apprehension and confusion.
"The real concern, perhaps, is not the policy’s clarity, but the chief minister's unwillingness to acknowledge it. In doing so, he disregards the constitutional spirit that safeguards India's linguistic diversity.
"Stop using the Hindi imposition argument to hide administrative failures and join the national mission of empowering every Indian language," Pradhan said.
