CHENNAI: The opposition DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Sunday announced the constitution of an nine-member party committee to do an in-depth study of the draft New Educational Policy (NEP) that has thrown up several controversial elements, particularly on the language issue impinging on Centre-state relations.
The committee headed by former State Higher Education minister, Dr K. Ponmudi, will include Thangam Thennarasu, former School Education minister, Prof A. Ramaswami, former vice-chairman, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Council, Prof M. Rajednran, former vice-chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur, Prof Krishnaswamy, former professor, Pachaiyappas College, Chennai, C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, MLA
DMK students wing secretary, Dr Raveendranath, Doctors Forum for Social Justice, Prof Prince Gajendrababu, Education expert, and Dr S Senthilkumar, MP, the DMK leader said in a statement here.
Mr. Stalin said though the BJP government at the Centre has said that it was deleting portions of the NEP which stressed on compulsory learning of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, there were still apprehensions among the people about "imposition" of Hindi in so many other ways. Even the recent Central budget has included provisions for appointment of more Hindi teachers in non-Hindi speaking states, he pointed out.
In this backdrop, he said the DMK decided to have the considered views of education experts on the draft NEP. The committee will study all the issues concerned and submit a report to the party headquarters in ten days, Stalin said, adding, based on the panel's report the DMK will state the party's position on the draft NEP and send it to the Union HRD ministry for its consideration.
