The Tamil Nadu government reaffirmed its commitment to a two-language policy for state-run and aided schools on Monday [1].
This decision marks a direct resistance to the national shift toward a three-language formula. By maintaining this stance, the state seeks to preserve a regional education model that has historically resisted the inclusion of a third mandatory language in schools.
School Education Minister A. Rajmohan said the state will continue following its long-standing two-language policy even after CBSE implemented the three-language formula for classes nine and 10 [1]. The Central Board of Secondary Education's move aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which promotes a broader linguistic framework across India.
Rajmohan said the policy is a core tenet of the state's identity. "Two-language policy is fundamental not only to Tamil Nadu, but also to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)," Rajmohan said [2].
The government said there will be no compromise on the current model [1]. This commitment ensures that students in state-run institutions will not be required to adopt the additional language mandated by the central board's updated rules for secondary education.
The tension between state autonomy in education and national standardization continues to be a focal point for the administration in Tamil Nadu. The government said that the two-language system is essential to the state's cultural, and educational integrity [2].
“The state will continue following its long-standing two-language policy”
This reaffirmation underscores a persistent ideological conflict between the Tamil Nadu government and the central government's National Education Policy 2020. By refusing to adopt the three-language formula, Tamil Nadu is asserting its regional autonomy and protecting its linguistic identity against federal standardization efforts, potentially creating a divergence in educational requirements between state-run schools and CBSE-affiliated institutions within the state.
