Dharmendra Pradhan Defends Regional Language Policy In NEP, Says ‘All Indian Languages Are Equal’ Amid Row

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been a contentious issue in Indian politics once again—this time on its emphasis to promote regional languages in education.

Recently, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan supported the NEP's regional language policy on the social networking platform X.

Without directly naming anyone, he criticised opposition parties for resisting the move. He wrote that some leaders now oppose not just the BJP, but India’s cultural values as well. “All Indian languages reflect our intellectual heritage,” Pradhan said, calling the criticism of the NEP a part of a "divide and rule mindset."

Clash with Tamil Nadu

MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, voiced significant opposition to the state's implementation of NEP, which prompted Pradhan's appointment. Stalin earlier accused the minister of being arrogant and claimed the three-language formula in NEP promotes Hindi at the cost of Tamil and state autonomy. He also claimed that the central government is holding back education funds such as those under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.

The spat is a sign of deeper anxieties between the BJP-led central government and opposition-governed states such as Tamil Nadu. Although the Centre views NEP as an initiative towards inclusivist and culturally-oriented education, some states look at it as a top-down imposition of language and policy.

What NEP stated about language

In NEP 2020, students are also promoted to study in their mother tongue or regional language at least till Class 5. The policy also promotes the use of Indian languages in higher education and government sectors. Minister Pradhan has repeatedly emphasised this as a means of showing respect for India's linguistic diversity and increasing access to education.