National Education Policy (NEP 2020): Hindi v Tamil - India's language battle heats up - Voice of Asia

A fierce verbal clash has erupted between the chief minister of a southern Indian state and the federal government over an education policy involving language instruction in schools. At the heart of the dispute lies the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, launched five years ago by Prime Minister Modi's government and currently being implemented in phases.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's accusations that the federal government is punishing the state for refusing to implement the NEP have quickly become a focal point in the news. Delhi has denied these allegations, asserting its commitment to equitable treatment. A significant component of the policy recommends that students learn three languages, though it does not explicitly specify which ones, it emphasizes that at least two should be "native to India."

Stalin has listed [numerous reasons](https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/tamil-nadu-will-not-implement-nep-at-any-cost-says-chief-minister-stalin/article69251163.ece) against implementing the NEP, highlighting concerns about its impact on regional autonomy. However, his primary concern, which has dominated recent headlines, is his belief that the three-language policy will lead to the imposition of Hindi (the most widely spoken language in northern India) in the state.

Indian states are mostly divided along linguistic lines, with nearly two dozen official languages, including Hindi, Tamil, and English. However, southern states have often protested attempts by successive federal governments to prioritize Hindi over other languages. This issue is particularly sensitive in Tamil Nadu, which has historically been at the forefront of such protests.

The issue has sparked heated debate in the Indian Parliament. Federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan [accused](https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/tamil-nadu-cm-stalin-hits-back-at-union-minister-pradhan-on-nep-calls-him-arrogant20250310142011/) Stalin and members of his party of "creating trouble." Pradhan stated, "Their only job is to create language barriers. They are undemocratic and uncivilized." These remarks triggered protests in Tamil Nadu by Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

Education falls under the "concurrent" list in the constitution, meaning both federal and state governments can make and enact laws regarding it. Schools and colleges follow different syllabi and rules depending on their governing body—the federal or state government. The National Education Policy aims to promote and regulate education in India, with the government periodically updating it, and NEP 2020 being the fourth revision.

The three-language formula has faced resistance from various states, including Tamil Nadu, since it first appeared in the NEP in 1968. Many of the policy's recommendations are not legally binding on state-run schools. For example, schools in Tamil Nadu teach only two languages: English and Tamil. The state's leaders believe that learning the mother tongue, Tamil, helps children learn other subjects better, while English provides more promising opportunities.

Tamil Nadu's government schools have performed well over the years in surveys measuring indicators such as educational attainment and infrastructure quality. The latest NEP states that "the three-language policy will continue to be implemented," but adds that, unlike earlier versions, there will be "greater flexibility" and that "no language will be imposed on any state."

Stalin and his party say they are not against Hindi per se, but they have been arguing for the past few weeks that the policy's ultimate aim is to force non-Hindi speaking states to learn Hindi. Stalin wrote on [X](https://x.com/mkstalin/status/1894980170122936599) last month that Hindi emerged during British colonial rule as a standardized language for ease of communication and eventually dominated other languages and dialects in northern India, such as Bhojpuri and Awadhi.

His party colleague, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, recently questioned why students should be forced to learn three languages. She told the [Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/kanimozhi-tamil-nadu-three-language-delimitation-9874085/): "Students are already burdened enough in school. They have to learn so many subjects, and then they are forced to learn three languages instead of two."

But Pradhan has denied allegations that the policy will force the imposition of Hindi. He told reporters last week: "We never said in NEP 2020 that there will be only Hindi; we only said that education will be based on the mother tongue—in Tamil Nadu, it will be Tamil."

This latest controversy has been exacerbated by Tamil Nadu's claim that it has not received its due share of funds under the "Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan," a school education program partly funded by the federal government, because of its refusal to implement the NEP. The Hindu [reported last August](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/centre-subtly-reiterates-that-tamil-nadu-adopt-national-education-policy/article68506277.ece) that the federal government had asked Tamil Nadu to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to participate in the program. However, according to the MoU, participating in the program meant that the state had to adopt NEP 2020 "in its entirety."

In December, a federal junior minister stated in parliament that Tamil Nadu had initially agreed to sign the MoU for the program but ultimately did not—a claim the DMK denies, saying it never agreed to do so. In February, Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the urgent release of approximately 21.5 billion rupees ($247 million; £191 million) in funding.

India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with an estimated [thousands of languages](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/more-than-19500-mother-tongues-spoken-in-india-census-5241056/) spoken here. But there are only 22 official languages, and according to the last census in 2011, Hindi is the most widely spoken, with over 46% of the population using it.

After the British left India in 1947, the newly independent country sought to promote Hindi as a common language to replace English. The constitution, enacted in 1950, also urged the federal government to promote the spread of Hindi. This was strongly opposed by non-Hindi speaking states, prompting the federal government to continue using English as an alternative official language for 15 years after 1950.

As the 1965 deadline approached, fears of Hindi "imposition" again triggered violent protests in Tamil Nadu, leading the federal government to pass a law guaranteeing the continued use of English as an official language. However, successive federal governments have introduced policies or made statements that have kept these anxieties alive.

The three-language formula was first adopted in the NEP of 1968, and in the same year, the government introduced policies [mandating](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/should-a-third-language-be-compulsory-explained/article69263733.ece) the teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, leading to renewed protests. Over the years, the issue of Hindi versus other languages has repeatedly made headlines. In 2023, Stalin criticized the Modi government for replacing some colonial-era laws with laws bearing Hindi names (for example, the Indian Penal Code has been replaced by a law called the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita).

A federal government committee that reviewed language policy in 1948-49 acknowledged that the emotional nature of the issue made it "difficult to consider in a calm and objective manner." The committee stated: "No other question has aroused greater controversy among educationists and provoked more contradictory opinions from our witnesses than this."