Dharmendra Pradhan Responds to M.K. Stalin’s Allegations on NEP 2020 and Withholding of SSA Funds

War of Words Escalates Between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin Over NEP 2020 and Funding Disputes

A fresh round of verbal sparring has erupted between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, with Pradhan issuing a sharp rebuttal to Stalin's recent allegations regarding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Centre's handling of educational funding.

In response to Stalin’s criticism, Pradhan emphasized that healthy competition among states is vital in a democracy but condemned the act of "pitting states against each other" as it "goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the value of a unified India." Pradhan reiterated that NEP 2020 was crafted through extensive consultations, reflecting the "collective wisdom of the people of India."

He then posed a series of pointed questions to Stalin regarding his opposition to the NEP:

"Are you opposing education in mother tongue including Tamil?"

"Are you opposing the conduct of exams in Indian languages including Tamil?"

"Are you opposing the creation of textbooks and content in Indian languages including Tamil?"

"Are you opposed to the holistic, multi-disciplinary, equitable, futuristic, and inclusive framework of NEP?"

Pradhan concluded by urging Stalin to "prioritize the interests of the students of Tamil Nadu over your political gains and implement NEP."

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, referencing an article published in The Hindu, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with the Centre's policies, stating:

"Denying funds to the best-performing states for refusing to bow to the #NEP, while generously rewarding those who are not delivering on the objectives – Is this how the Union BJP Government plans to promote quality education and equity? I leave it to the wisdom of our nation and our people to decide!”

The Hindu report highlighted that over the past year, the Centre has withheld funds for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) from at least five opposition-ruled states—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal, and Delhi. The SSA is a flagship program aimed at enhancing the school education sector, covering a wide range of objectives such as bridging social and gender gaps, ensuring inclusion, vocational education, school infrastructure, and teacher training.

According to the report, the Centre’s decision to withhold SSA funds from these states is more closely tied to their reluctance to fully accept the Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme than their performance on SSA objectives. The PM SHRI scheme is aimed at developing model schools to offer leadership to other institutions. In some instances, states' reluctance to adopt NEP 2020 in its entirety has also been cited as a factor.

The report further noted that the withholding of SSA funds has impacted crucial areas, such as the salaries of teachers and the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which relies heavily on these funds. While states like Kerala and Punjab have capitulated to the Centre’s terms due to the financial strain, and Delhi may follow suit, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal remain defiant.

The data published in the article underscores that the states penalized by the Centre for non-compliance with the PM SHRI scheme are among the top performers on SSA's key objectives. Kerala leads in many categories and is in the top half of states on all 20 SSA objectives. Tamil Nadu ranks in the top half on 19 objectives, Delhi on 18, and West Bengal on 15. In contrast, states that have received SSA funding, such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, performed significantly lower. Gujarat is in the top half for only eight objectives, while Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh each rank in the top half for just three objectives, and Bihar for two.

Stalin's accusations raise critical questions about the Centre’s approach to funding educational initiatives, as the Tamil Nadu CM argues that the Union Government is penalizing the best-performing states for their opposition to the NEP, which has fueled a fierce political and ideological clash over the future of India’s education system.