On January 13, BJP leader K Annamalai stated that the ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu was following the CBSE curriculum by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) as a subject in schools. He added that the state government would also now implement the three-language policy as per the National Education Policy (NEP). However, the Tamil Nadu government issued a strong denial to Annamalai’s statements made on his social media handle on X (formerly twitter).
“Happy to note that the TN State Govt is in the process of implementing the NEP2020 introduced by our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl & we are certainly hopeful that the TN State govt will soon consider implementing the 3 language policy with education in the Mother tongue compulsory as mandated in NEP2020,” Annamalai wrote on his social media.
“Annamalai should not try to twist or change history. The state government denies his contentions. The Tamil Nadu government has not accepted the NEP. However, the state has already achieved many educational targets set by the policy. The NEP said the student-admission ratio should reach 50%. But in 2019-20 itself, Tamil Nadu had achieved 51.4%.
Though the NEP said a 50% ratio should be achieved by 2035, Tamil Nadu would reach 100% in 2035. Hence, after including the achievements of Tamil Nadu in NEP and claiming that the state is working per the NEP is laughable,” read the statement from the Tamil Nadu government.
Tamil Nadu signed an MoU with Microsoft to introduce Technology Education and Learning Support Programme (TEALS) and to also provide AI training to students. The TN government explained that the IT policy was formulated in 1997 itself when late M Karunanidhi was the chief minister. A lot of pioneering work had been done in the state since and this was all ahead of the formulation of NEP at the national level, said the statement.
It further added, “Annamalai’s dream of a three-language policy in TN will not happen. Only the two-language policy would be followed.”