DMK appoints team to review draft new education policy

Terming the Centre’s new Draft New education Policy as a “serious attempt” to “impose” Hindi language, Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Sunday appointed a high-level team consisting of former ministers and eminent educationists to review the policy.

In a statement, DMK President M K Stalin announced constitution of nine-member team, which he said, would go into the draft report threadbare and submit a report him within ten days.

The team comprises of former Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, former School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu and education activist like Prince Rajendra babu as members. The draft education policy which was released in the last week of May triggered a major controversy in non-Hindi states, especially in Tamil Nadu, as it proposed a three-language formula.

Following uproar from people and political parties that outright rejected the draft report, the Centre did a volte-face by withdrawing the controversial portions.

In the statement on Sunday, Stalin said the allocation of funds in the Union Budget to support the appointment of Hindi teachers in non-Hindi speaking States was in "contradiction" to the removal of compulsory Hindi clauses in revised draft education policy issued last month.

"DMK is willing to seek opinions from experts in education on the draft National Education Policy, which is posing a threat to classical language Tamil," Stalin said, adding that the BJP-led Centre was "serious" in somehow imposing the Hindi language.