Dissent is brewing within the Tamil Nadu Congress over the leadership style of state party President K. Selvaperunthagai after he invited applications for the post of new district chiefs. A section of party leaders has met Girish Chodankar, the AICC secretary incharge of Tamil Nadu, to express their dissatisfaction with Selvaperunthagai’s leadership.
Selvaperunthagai, a grassroots leader known for his outspoken criticism of political opponents, is facing opposition from a faction of party members loyal to a Congress Member of Parliament from southern Tamil Nadu. It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu Congress is a part of the INDIA bloc led by the DMK. While the Congress and the DMK share a strong alliance, some Congress leaders are displeased with the DMK for taking over the Erode East legislative Assembly seat, which was previously represented by deceased Congress leaders EVKS Elangovan and his son, Thirumagan Everaa.
Senior Congress leaders who met the AICC secretary on 21 February 2025, in New Delhi reportedly blamed Selvaperunthagai’s inefficiency for the DMK not allocating the sitting seat to the Congress in Erode East. The Congress party had 18 legislators in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, but after it was not allowed to contest from Erode East, its strength has been reduced to 17. However, it is worth noting that the party had only eight MLAs in the 2016 Assembly to the present 17. With the DMK having announced 200 out of 237 seats for the INDIA bloc in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections, the Congress high command is expected to give Selvaperunthagai a free hand in party affairs.
The TNCC president, who is into his first anniversary in office, is a prominent Dalit leader with substantial grassroots support. Highly placed sources in the Tamil Nadu Congress indicate that Selvaperunthagai enjoys the backing of senior party leaders, including AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal.
According to party insiders, around ten District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents are likely to be removed and replaced with fresh faces. A Congress leader aligned with Selvaperunthagai told IANS that these changes are being made due to underperformance, and with Assembly elections only a year away, the party is set to take tough decisions based on feedback from the TNCC president. The Congress party has historically played a secondary role in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, dominated by the Dravidian parties—DMK and AIADMK. The party high command is now looking to usher in a new era for the Tamil Nadu Congress by implementing grassroots reforms and making leadership changes in key districts.
-IANS
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The nickname #பால்டாயில்_பாபு (Paaldayil Babu), coined by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai for DMK scion and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, has taken social media by storm.
The nickname gained significant traction after Annamalai launched a scathing attack on Udhayanidhi Stalin. He warned that if the DMK leader continued to insult Prime Minister Modi, he would personally put up “Paaldayil Babu” posters outside Udhayanidhi’s residence. Annamalai didn’t mince words, challenging Udhayanidhi directly: “If you have the guts, say ‘Get Out Modi.’ Just because your father is the Chief Minister and your grandfather was a five-time CM doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want. Try saying it, da!” He escalated the situation further, threatening, “If you utter those words, I’ll come to your house and plaster ‘Paaldayil Babu’ posters right outside. I’ll speak to you in the language you understand!”
Annamalai’s fiery challenge ignited an intense social media battle between the BJP and the DMK. In response to Annamalai’s attack, the DMK IT wing shared a video on February 20 showcasing the sloganeering of “Get Out Modi” during a DMK meeting. This led to a fierce backlash from netizens, with the hashtag #பால்டாயில்_பாபு (Paaldayil Babu) trending across social media.
Why Udhayanidhi Stalin Is Called “Paaldayil Babu”?
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s nickname “Paaldayil Babu,” set by Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai stems from two different stories. One theory behind the name involves the term “Paaldayil,” which is an insecticide, allegedly linked to rumors surrounding Udhayanidhi’s personal life. These rumors reportedly began when he was involved with actress whose name rings with a numner. It is said that during the shooting of the film Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal in 2014, Udhayanidhi and the female actor became romantically involved. The pair reportedly visited the Palani temple together, fueling speculation about their relationship.
Despite Udhayanidhi being married at the time, rumors of his affair with the lady film star spread. His grandfather, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, is said to have warned him, but the relationship reportedly continued. In the film Nannbenda, Udhayanidhi cast one specific heroine as the female lead, further intensifying the rumors.
However, when she allegedly rejected his feelings, Udhayanidhi was reported to have attempted suicide, an incident that was widely gossiped back then. His supporters blamed the heroine, leading to a significant backlash against the actress. That is why the “Paaldayil” part came to the fore.
In 2021, actor-politician Radha Ravi reignited the controversy ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by questioning Udhayanidhi Stalin’s relationship with the heroine. He made a derogatory remark about her, which led to Udhayanidhi’s political party temporarily distancing itself from Radha Ravi. Despite the controversy, Radha Ravi stated that he did not care about Udhayanidhi and the heroine’s relationship.
The second part of the nickname, “Babu,” is allegedly a reference to a long-standing rumor involving Udhayanidhi Stalin’s father, DMK leader M.K. Stalin. The rumor centers around a supposed relationship between M.K. Stalin and a former newsreader. According to the widely circulated gossip in Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin allegedly abducted Fathima Babu during the late 1980s when his father, M. Karunanidhi, was the Chief Minister. This story had been circulating for over three decades, but it gained more attention in 2019.
To put an end to the rumors, the newsreader clarified that she was not abducted in the 1980s. She explained that her absence during that period was due to her involvement in a television serial.
A recent report by The Indian Express claiming that a $21 million USAID grant was intended for Bangladesh, not India, has come under intense scrutiny. The article, which contradicts official U.S. government records, appears to be part of a larger pattern of misinformation and raises serious questions about the newspaper’s motives and its ties to foreign-funded organizations.
The Controversy
On 16 February 2025, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) published a list of cancelled USAID funding initiatives, including a $21 million allocation for “voter turnout in India.” This disclosure sparked a political firestorm in India, with concerns about foreign interference in the country’s electoral processes.
However, The Indian Express published a report claiming that the $21 million was actually meant for Bangladesh under USAID’s “Nagorik Program.” The article, authored by Jay Mazoomdar, argued that the funding was misrepresented as being for India when it was, in fact, used for civic engagement programmes in Bangladesh.
This narrative was quickly amplified by alleged ‘fact-checker’ Mohammed Zubair and pro-Congress journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, both of whom have a history of pushing partisan agendas.
What DOGE’s Records Actually Show
DOGE’s official post explicitly lists the $21 million as part of a $486 million package to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), specifically earmarked for “voter turnout in India.” The funding appears alongside other allocations, such as $22 million for Moldova and $29 million for Bangladesh, leaving no room for ambiguity.
President Donald Trump also referenced the $21 million for India and $29 million for Bangladesh as separate entities during a speech, further confirming the distinction.
The Indian Express’ Omissions
The Indian Express report conveniently sidestepped critical context, including:
The 2012 MoU Between ECI and IFES: Under then-Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, the Election Commission of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a CEPPS member organization linked to George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. This agreement facilitated USAID’s involvement in India’s electoral processes.
Historical Funding to India: Past funding records, once available on CEPPS’s now-defunct website, show financial flows directed at electoral programmes in India as late as 2014.
By ignoring these facts, The Indian Express created a misleading narrative that downplays concerns about foreign interference in India’s elections.
Conflict Of Interest
The credibility of The Indian Express report is further undermined by its failure to disclose significant conflicts of interest:
Omidyar Network’s Sponsorship: The Indian Express has received funding from the Omidyar Network, which is part of USAID’s Finance and Investment Network and has also been funded by George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. Omidyar sponsored events for The Indian Express as recently as January 2025, despite claiming to have ceased operations in India in December 2024.
Author’s Ties to Foreign-Funded Organizations: Jay Mazoomdar, the author of the report, is a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which partners with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)—an organization funded by USAID and George Soros.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST ALERT 🚨‼️
Omidyar Network sponsors The Indian Express programs. They funded an event in Chennai on August 12, 2024, and another in Delhi as recently as January 2025, despite Omidyar India’s website stating that it ceased operations in India effective… pic.twitter.com/gIeRnWtrCx
Managing Editor’s Affiliation: The Managing Editor of The Indian Express is part of a consortium sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID, and the U.S. State Department.
So, @sardesairajdeep is quoting the article by @mazoomdaar about the USAID payout to "increase voter turnout" being fake news. Jay Mazoomdaar is part of ICIJ – International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a partner to OCCRP, a former direct beneficiary of the USAID… https://t.co/L2bQqv6LpCpic.twitter.com/0JSnsU6b8f
These connections raise serious concerns about the newspaper’s independence and its willingness to push narratives that align with the interests of its foreign funders.
Why This Matters
The Indian Express’ report appears to be part of a broader effort to dismiss concerns about foreign influence in India’s electoral processes. By misrepresenting DOGE’s official records and omitting critical context, the newspaper has undermined public trust and fueled misinformation.
The timing of the report is also suspect, coming as DOGE’s scrutiny of USAID funding threatens to expose more details about past and ongoing programmes in India. The abrupt shutdown of CEPPS’s website only adds to suspicions that key information is being withheld from public scrutiny.
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Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Chief Coordinator Seeman has once again courted controversy. Earlier in January 2025, Seeman paid tribute to Palani Baba, also known as Ahmed Ali, the president of the All India Jihad Committee, for his death anniversary on 28 January 2025. Palani Baba, considered an Islamic extremist, has been linked to terrorist activities.
தமிழர்களே! இனப்பற்று கொள்ளாதீர்கள்; இனவெறி கொள்ளுங்கள்! இல்லையேல், ஆளப்படுவீர்களே ஒழிய, ஒருபோதும் ஆளமாட்டீர்கள்!
புனிதப் போராளி அண்ணன் பழனி பாபா அவர்களின் பெரும்புகழ்ப் போற்றுவோம்!
Now, he is organising a massive public meeting to sing praises of the terrorist Palani Baba. Calling his followers, he shared a video on his X handle captioned, “Hello to all our loved ones who live with us in our lives and feelings! A holy warrior worthy of our admiration and worship Brother Palani Baba A grand public gathering of great praise Day: Meenam 10 | 22-02-2025 04 PM Location: Near Neykarapatti Art Gallery, Palani Let’s all honorable Tamils gather together without forgetting! We are Tamils!”
In the video he says, “Greetings to all our dearly loved ones. We are conducting a grand public meeting to praise
holy warrior brother Al-Hajj Palani Baba who deserves our praise and respect on 22 March 2025, Saturday at 5PM, near Neikarapatti auditorium in Palani. Proud Tamilians should come and participate in this event. Naam Tamilar.”
தமிழர்களே! இனப்பற்று கொள்ளாதீர்கள்; இனவெறி கொள்ளுங்கள்! இல்லையேல், ஆளப்படுவீர்களே ஒழிய, ஒருபோதும் ஆளமாட்டீர்கள்!
புனிதப் போராளி அண்ணன் பழனி பாபா அவர்களின் பெரும்புகழ்ப் போற்றுவோம்!
Palani Baba, whose real name was Ahmed Ali, was a notorious figure in Tamil Nadu’s history of Islamic terrorism. Born in Pudhu Ayakkudi, a village near Palani in Dindigul district, Ahmed Ali was raised by his maternal uncle after the death of his parents. He became involved in nefarious activities during his college years, causing embarrassment to his family. Ali went on to establish the All India Jihad Committee (AIJC) in 1986, an Islamist fundamentalist organization, and was known for his connections to groups like the All India Milli Council, which was reportedly linked to Saudi-Wahhabi ideologies.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tamil Nadu witnessed the rise of Islamic fundamentalist groups, and Ahmed Ali capitalized on this wave. During MGR’s rule, he became known for his controversial activities, which drew the attention of the DMK under Karunanidhi. The DMK reportedly supported him to oppose MGR, even though Ali’s rhetoric and actions were divisive, including his claims of ties with the LTTE. By 1990, Ali had garnered significant support from the DMK. It is to be noted that Ahmed Ali addressed MGR in singular in whichever public meeting he spoke. Dressed like Yasar Arafat, Ahmed Ali made vitriolic speeches against Hindus and was instrumental in fomenting violence against the Hindus especially in the Coimbatore region.
Ahmed Ali was involved in various killings of Hindus in Coimbatore. In 1990, Israeli intelligence arrested a Palestinian student who was studying in south India. During interrogation it was revealed that there was a possible presence of internationally linked Islamic terror cells in Coimbatore. However, the Israeli warnings were rejected by local police and intelligence. Ali’s involvement in violent acts against Hindus escalated during the early 1990s, and his influence grew further with the formation of Al Ummah, a jihadist group connected to organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s ISI. The group was implicated in several bombings, most notably the 1998 Coimbatore bombings, which targeted prominent political figures, including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
Despite his ties to DMK and other political entities like the PMK, Ali’s violent actions eventually led to a fallout with his former supporters. He was assassinated on 28 January 1997, outside his home by a group of six people, allegedly in retaliation for his anti-Hindu rhetoric and the killing of two Hindu activists earlier that year. Though his death was surrounded by controversy, including some unsubstantiated claims about personal disputes, his legacy remains one of spreading Islamic extremism in Tamil Nadu during a turbulent time.
Today, Ahmed Ali (Palani Baba) is remembered and even honored by several separatist and minority-appeasing groups, including Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and, at times, the DMK, despite his violent and extremist legacy.
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Healthcare services at multiple Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across Tamil Nadu were disrupted on 20 February 2025 as 893 doctors were simultaneously called to Chennai to receive transfer orders from Health Minister Ma Subramanian. The mass absence of doctors reportedly led to patients being turned away, causing inconvenience, particularly to pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.
In some PHCs, including Maruthamputhur, pregnant women who had come for iron sucrose administration were sent home by on-duty staff due to the unavailability of doctors. Officials stated that advance notice about the absence of medical officers should have been given to patients.
The directive to bring all transferred doctors to Chennai was issued on Tuesday (19 February 2025) by Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr. T S Selvavinayagam. The ‘most urgent’ order instructed district health officers (DHOs) to ensure the presence of medical officers at the event, emphasizing that alternative arrangements should be made to prevent disruption at PHCs.
However, doctors from districts including Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Salem, and Sivaganga reported that their forced travel resulted in severe strain on healthcare services in their regions.
The move also coincided with a NITI Aayog inspection scheduled in Sivaganga, where 30 doctors were absent due to their compulsory travel to Chennai. The decision to summon doctors, despite an existing shortage in many districts, raised concerns about its impact on patient care.
Health Secretary Dr. P Senthil Kumar stated that DHOs had been directed to ensure continuity of care at PHCs and that such gatherings in Chennai were not uncommon. Meanwhile, in Chennai, after issuing transfer orders to some medical officers, Minister Subramanian reportedly left to attend Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s event.
A Dalit woman, named Radha from Annaram, Bhadradri District of Telangana has allegedly been ostracized by a local Church for practicing Hinduism, according to the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF). The rights group reported that Radha, a Scheduled Caste (SC) woman, has been forced into social isolation due to her participation in Dharmic activities.
LRPF stated that the Church has allegedly instructed villagers not to sell her daily essentials, effectively cutting off her access to basic needs. The forum condemned the act as a blatant case of religious discrimination and a violation of fundamental rights.
Annaram, Bhadradri (D), Telangana:
Radha, a SC woman, has been ostracized from the village by Church due to her Hindu faith & involvement in Dharmic activities.
Villagers are instructed not to sell daily essentials to her.
Following the complaint, an FIR has been registered under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, which prohibits caste-based discrimination and social boycotts. LRPF has called for stringent legal action against those responsible and urged authorities to ensure Radha’s safety.
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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States recently published a post on X, revealing a list of funding initiatives that were stopped or canceled. Among these, one particular allocation has drawn significant attention in India.
According to DOGE’s post, $486 million was given to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), with $21 million specifically allocated for ‘voter turnout’ in India—equivalent to ₹182 crores as per today’s exchange rate.
On 16 February 2025, DOGE posted,“US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled: – $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision” – $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills” – $2.3M for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia” – $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre – $40M for “gender equality and women empowerment hub” – $14M for “improving public procurement” in Serbia – $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India – $29M to “strenghening political landscape in Bangladesh” – $20M for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal – $19M for “biodiversity conversation” in Nepal – $1.5M for “voter confidence” in Liberia – $14M for “social cohesion” in Mali – $2.5M for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa” – $47M for “improving learning outcomes in Asia” – $2M to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt“”
US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
– $10M for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision”
– $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills”
– $2.3M for “strengthening…
However, The Indian Express recently published a report claiming that a $21 million USAID grant flagged by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was meant for Bangladesh, not India.
But that is not the case when we refer to DOGE’s official post. So, what is the intent of The Indian Express in pushing this kind of propaganda?
Amplified By The Likes Of Zubair And Sardesai
Alleged ‘fact-checker’ and AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair amplified this report stating, “USAID $21 million for ‘vote turnout’ did NOT go to India but to Bangladesh. TheUS president confused Dhaka with Delhi. The $21 million, records accessed by @IndianExpress show, was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India.”
USAID $21 million for ‘vote turnout’ did NOT go to India but to Bangladesh. US president confused Dhaka with Delhi. The $21 million, records accessed by @IndianExpress show, was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India.https://t.co/DKJqUP7TFg
Here’s pro-Congress and Gandhi family simp Rajdeep Sardesai peddling the same.
Fact check: USAID $21 million for ‘vote turnout’ did NOT go to India but to Bangladesh!! US president confused Dhaka with Delhi!! BJP claimed monies were spent by Cong to topple Modi govt. Worse, so called ‘journalists’ put out identical unsourced charts on how monies were spent.…
According to The Indian Express, the $21 million funding was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh under USAID’s “Amar Vote Amar” project, later renamed the “Nagorik” program. The report argues that this funding was misrepresented as being intended for “voter turnout in India” when, in reality, it was used for civic engagement programs in Bangladesh.
What the Official Records Actually Show
DOGE’s own disclosure explicitly lists the $21 million under USAID funding for “voter turnout in India.” The funding appears alongside several other grants, including $22 million for “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova and $29 million for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh.” These allocations were part of a broader $486 million package channeled through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS).
The Indian Express fails to explain why DOGE, which has access to detailed federal funding records, explicitly stated that the $21 million was designated for India. Furthermore, USAID’s historical engagement with Indian elections raises additional questions about the claim that no such funding existed.
FAKE NEWS ALERT 🚨‼️
The Indian Express story discusses $21 million in funding to Bangladesh in 2022. However, the article misrepresents the reference to a $21 million funding tranche intended to ‘promote’ voter turnout in India.
The Indian Express report conveniently sidesteps the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding between the Election Commission of India and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). This agreement, signed under then-Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, facilitated USAID’s involvement in India’s electoral processes.
Image Source: OpIndia
Notably, IFES—one of the key organizations within CEPPS—is linked to George Soros’s Open Society Foundation and has a documented history of funding political and electoral initiatives in India.
Past funding records, once publicly available on CEPPS’s now-defunct website, show financial flows directed at electoral programs in India as late as 2014.
Why This Matters
The Indian Express report appears to be an attempt to downplay or dismiss concerns about foreign influence in India’s electoral process. The failure to acknowledge IFES’s past agreements with Indian institutions, combined with the misrepresentation of DOGE’s official funding list, suggests a deliberate effort to obscure facts.
Moreover, the narrative constructed by The Indian Express aligns with a broader pattern of denial by certain media and political factions in India, which have historically dismissed allegations of foreign electoral interference.
With DOGE now actively scrutinizing USAID’s funding, more details about past allocations to India’s electoral processes may emerge. The abrupt shutdown of CEPPS’s website only adds to suspicions that key information about past and ongoing programs may be withheld from public scrutiny.
As the debate over foreign funding in India’s elections intensifies, the real question is: why are some media outlets so eager to dismiss concerns raised by official U.S. disclosures? The answer may lie in the very networks that benefited from these funds—networks now scrambling to cover their tracks.
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A narrative that has been consistently promoted by leftist and Marxist historians in India is that only after the post-colonial era did education become accessible to all Indians, regardless of caste, and that prior to this, educational opportunities were nonexistent. However, the claim that lower castes were denied education for 5,000 years and that the British era marked the beginning of educational decline is misleading. Contrary to this narrative, extensive surveys conducted by the British in the 1820s and 1830s, as documented by historian Dharampal, present a different picture of indigenous education in India.
When the British arrived in India, thousands of schools called pathshalas existed across the country. William Adam, a missionary who surveyed Bengal and Bihar, reported that there were an estimated 100,000 schools spread across 150,748 villages. British official G.L. Prendergast observed, “There is hardly a village in which there is not at least one school.” These findings show that indigenous education was indeed widespread.
Structure Of Indigenous Schools
Education in pathshalas was typically organized into four stages:
Learning the local language alphabet.
Reading, writing, and basic arithmetic.
Advanced arithmetic and problem-solving.
Writing letters, petitions, and bookkeeping.
Although the system wasn’t standardized, it was practical and equipped students with essential skills for trade, administration, and daily life.
Who Were The Teachers?
While teachers in these schools often came from certain castes such as Brahmins, Kayasthas (scribes), and Aguris, there is evidence to suggest that teachers also belonged to other castes, including Dalits (previously considered “untouchables”). In areas like Tirhut, Bihar, there were a significant number of scholars from various castes. Scheduled Castes marked in red and OBC’s in yellow.
Who Were The Students?
The majority of students in these pathshalas came from lower castes. For example, in districts like Trichinopoly and Coimbatore, Shudras (the lower castes) comprised 76-78% of the students, indicating broad participation in education across caste lines. However, higher education institutions were more likely to be attended by upper-caste students due to their access to Sanskrit learning, which had limited relevance to the professions of lower castes.
Was Caste A Barrier For Education?
Rev. G.A. Robertson, a missionary, observed that in many schools, students were judged based on merit rather than caste. Brahmin and non-Brahmin students were treated equally, and upper-caste parents were not opposed to sending their children to Dalit or Muslim teachers. Interestingly, in Burdwan, Bengal, out of 674 Dalit scholars, 87% attended native schools, while only 13% were in missionary-run institutions.
Pre-colonial Multilingual Education
Pre-colonial schools were often multilingual, serving various linguistic communities. For instance, in Bellary (Karnataka), there were:
235 Kannada schools
226 Telugu schools
23 Marathi schools
21 Persian schools
4 Tamil schools
23 Sanskrit colleges
Higher Education And Vidyapeeths:
India had institutions of higher learning, known as vidyapeeths, which were akin to colleges today. These institutions offered education in fields like:
Medicine
Law
Astronomy
Mathematics
Hindu philosophy (e.g., Vedanta, Mimamsa)
These higher education institutions were fewer in number compared to the more widespread elementary education, as most professions relied on on-the-job training rather than formal higher education. While elementary education was imparted in vernacular languages, Sanskrit was used for advanced studies.
Women’s Education
While formal education for women was limited, it was not completely restricted. Some girls, especially from artistic or dancing backgrounds, received training in arts and literature. Exclusive schools for girls were rare, but private tutoring was a common alternative. Though education for women wasn’t widely promoted at the time, there were exceptions, particularly among the elite and artistic communities.
Funding And Operation of Schools
Some schools charged fees, but many did not, and poorer students were exempt from fees if they couldn’t afford them. These schools were funded by:
Local communities, with donations from all sections of society
Local rulers and wealthy merchants
Temples, which also provided classrooms
Teachers were often supported through land grants or produce, and many taught without any payment.
Impact Of British Policies On Indigenous Education
The British policies centralized revenue collection, disrupting the community-based funding system for schools. Over time, the traditional educational system declined, and British-style schools became more prevalent. As British administration took control over education, local schools suffered.
British Neglect Of Native Education
In the 1800s, education in India was available to the common people, unlike in England and the West, where it was largely reserved for the wealthy. However, as British policies took hold, the literacy rate declined, particularly among lower castes. Macaulay’s policies, which emphasized English education and discouraged local languages and Sanskrit, led to the gradual disappearance of grassroots education. By the late 1800s, village-level education in native languages was almost entirely gone.
Revival Of Indian Education By Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda played a crucial role in reversing the damage caused by British missionaries, especially in terms of integrating aspects of Hinduism and promoting an inclusive vision of education. He spoke fluent English and traveled worldwide to share the teachings of his guru, Ramakrishna, promoting a Universal Religion that transcended religious boundaries.
In conclusion, education in India prior to British colonization was diverse, widespread, and community driven. British policies and centralized control led to a significant decline in this indigenous education system.
Social media in Tamil Nadu is currently witnessing an intense showdown between the Tamil Nadu BJP and the ruling DMK. BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai has thrown down the gauntlet to the DMK IT wing, challenging them to a social media battle on platform X. He dared them to tweet the slogan “Get Out Modi” throughout the night, while he would respond with “Get Out Stalin” at 6 am, claiming the challenge would demonstrate which slogan garnered more traction on social media.
Annamalai’s challenge was sparked by remarks from Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had suggested that if the BJP government continued pushing Hindi, Tamil Nadu would soon be chanting “Get Out Modi” instead of “Go Back Modi” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his tweet, Annamalai took aim at the DMK, accusing the party of creating an atmosphere of corruption, lawlessness, and economic decline in the state. He further criticized the DMK-led government for issues like the deteriorating education system, women’s safety concerns, and rising debt.
Doubling down on his challenge, Annamalai declared that he would post “Get Out Stalin” on X at 6 am and encouraged the DMK IT wing to use all their resources to tweet as much as they could. “Let’s see the reach of both our tweets. From 6 am, it’s BJP’s time,” he said.
True to his challenge, Annamalai kicked off the social media battle at 6 AM with a sharp post, with #GetOutStalin and stating, “For high handedness of one family, having a tainted cabinet, being an epicentre of corruption, turning a blind eye to lawlessness, turning TN into a haven for drugs & illicit liquor, mounting debt, dilapidated education ministry, precarious environment for women & children, divisive politics based on caste & religion, ceaseless failures in delivering good governance, flawed policies & not fulfilling electoral promises, this DMK led govt in TN will be dethroned by the people soon.”
For high handedness of one family, having a tainted cabinet, being an epicentre of corruption, turning a blind eye to lawlessness, turning TN into a haven for drugs & illicit liquor, mounting debt, dilapidated education ministry, precarious environment for women & children,… pic.twitter.com/VyD0BgPLfk
The post quickly went viral on social media, gaining massive traction. With widespread anti-incumbency sentiment, the hashtag soared, amassing 4.15 lakh tweets within the first half hours and maintaining its position as a top trend crossing 820k tweets.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials have started probing the influential links of a racket involved in massive irregularities in admission to private medical colleges in West Bengal under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota.
The probe was started after specific clues were sourced by the agency. Sources said the new line of investigation on the influential links is based on two factors, the first being some communication between the kingpins of the racket with some local politically influential persons and the second being certain fictitious bank transactions in this connection, clues on which are already available with the investigating officials.
Apart from that, sources added, the investigating officials have also been able to trace politically influential family links of those candidates who allegedly secured admissions under this particular quota despite not being NRIs. A total of eight private medical college & hospitals operating from the state are currently under the scanner of the ED officials.
The investigation is being carried out based on specific information that such irregularities were done against hefty cash payments. The investigation into the matter started in December last year on the basis of a specific complaint filed at a local police station in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. Since then there had been two rounds of marathon raid and search operations by the ED sleuths, the latest of which was Thursday.
In December last year, ED officials conducted similar raid and search operations at multiple locations in the state, including the premises of two politically influential persons. Then, at the industrial township of Haldia in East Midnapore district, the raid and search operations were conducted at the residence of the former CPI(M) Lok Sabha member from Tamluk Lakshman Seth, who runs an NGO that operates private medical and dental colleges at Haldia.
At Birbhum, the private medical college, where the ED raid and search operations are going on, is owned by businessman Malay Pith, whose name first surfaced in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case in West Bengal.
The matter of irregularities in the medical admissions under the NRI quota was first highlighted by Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, in September last year.
He alleged that in many such admissions, there were severe irregularities against hefty cash transactions which even included admission through the production of fake certificates. Adhikari also accused some senior officials attached to the state health department of being involved in the case.
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