DMK’s 10-member panel to study education policy

Announcing the constitution of the panel, DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday said that his party was interested in eliciting the views of educationalists on the draft NEP which was a threat to Classical Tamil.

The committee comprises former education ministers K Ponmudi, Thangam Thennarasu, vice president of TN Higher Education Council prof A Ramasami, former vice chancellor of Thanjavur Tamil University M Rajendran, professor Prince Gajendra Babu and former Pachaiyappa’s College professor Krishnasamy, DMK students wing secretary cum MLA CVMP Ezhilarasan, Dr Ravindranath of DASE,Dharamapuri MP Dr S Senthil Kumar and social activist Professor Sundaravalli.

The committee would table a report on the draft NEP to the DMK high command in 10 days. The DMK would submit its views on the National Education Policy based on the report of the committee to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry.

Recalling the changes made to the draft NEP by the Centre following DMK’s objection to imposition of Hindi in the pretext of tri-lingual policy in Tamil Nadu, Stalin raised doubts over the ruling BJP, which was keen on imposing Hindi in some form or other form, making budgetary allotment to appoint Hindi teachers for non-Hindi speaking states in the budget 2019-20. DMK was among the parties which had objected to the introducing trilingual policy in Tamil Nadu, which has been adamant on only following the dual language policy. The AIADMK regime has also assured that it would not compromise on its dual language policy.