A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal. The petition, filed by advocate GS Mani, comes amid the ongoing debate on Hindi imposition and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s opposition to the three-language formula proposed under the NEP.
Tamil Nadu currently follows a two-language policy, teaching only English and Tamil in government schools. The state government has opposed the NEP, arguing that the Central government is attempting to impose Hindi through its provisions. CM MK Stalin has been vocal in rejecting the three-language policy, asserting that it goes against the state’s linguistic and cultural identity.
Advocate GS Mani, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has challenged this stance in his PIL, contending that Stalin’s claims are “false, arbitrary, politically motivated, and against the fundamental right to free and effective education.“ The petition asserts that while the Supreme Court may not have direct authority to compel a state government to accept a policy or sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), it does have the power to issue directives in cases of constitutional or legal violations. Such directions, the plea argues, could effectively mandate state governments to take specific actions.
The petition further contends that states are constitutionally and legally obligated to implement the NEP and enter into an MoU for its execution. Mani also highlights that the policy does not explicitly mandate the imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states, countering the claims made by the Tamil Nadu government.
(With inputs from Bar and Bench)
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