File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. | Photo credit: ANI
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday (April 4, 2026) said that the recently introduced curriculum framework by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is in line with National Education Policy 2020, it is not an innocent academic reform, but a deliberate and deeply disturbing attempt at linguistic imposition that vindicates long-held fears.
In a post on X, Mr. Stalin said under the guise of promoting “Indian languages,” the BJP-led NDA government is aggressively pursuing a centralizing agenda that privileges Hindi while systematically marginalizing India’s rich and diverse linguistic heritage. The so-called trilingual formula is actually a hidden mechanism for the spread of Hindi to non-Hindi speaking areas.
“For students in southern states, this framework effectively translates into compulsory teaching of Hindi. But where is the reciprocity? Will students in Hindi-speaking states be required to learn Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam – or even languages like Bengali and Marathi? The complete absence of such clarity reveals the one-sided and discriminatory nature of this policy,” Stalin said.
“The irony is stark and unacceptable. The same Union government that has failed to make Tamil a compulsory language in Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools – and has consistently failed to appoint adequate Tamil teachers – is now trying to lecture states on promoting Indian languages. This is not commitment, this is the rank of hypocrisy,” he said.
“Does the Union government have any awareness of the ground reality – availability of teachers, training capacity and infrastructure? Where are the qualified teachers to carry out this massive exercise? And crucially, where are the finances to support this huge burden on the education system? This seems to be another ill-conceived policy announced without planning, resources or accountability,” Mr Stalin said.
The DMK president also said that it is not just a question of language but a question of justice, federalism and equal opportunities. By structurally favoring Hindi-speaking students, this policy risks creating entrenched advantages in higher education and employment and further exacerbating regional disparities.
At a time when the world is moving forward at an unprecedented pace, our children must be prepared for the future, he said. The priority should be to equip them with skills in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, AVGC (animation, visual effects, games and comics) and to strengthen scientific temperament and critical thinking. Instead, this regressive and rigid linguistic burden threatens to derail their progress, Mr. Stalin said.
According to him, the Union government seems determined to introduce Hindi, brushing aside the legitimate, consistent and democratic concerns raised by Tamil Nadu and several other states. This approach is a direct affront to the principles of cooperative federalism and an affront to the linguistic identity of millions of Indians.
“India’s strength lies in its diversity – not in enforced uniformity. Any attempt to disturb this delicate balance is not only misguided, it is dangerous. Such a policy strikes at the very foundation of our pluralistic nation and will be opposed,” Stalin said.
“Does the AIADMK under the leadership of Mr. Palaniswami and its NDA allies in Tamil Nadu join this ordinance? Or will they for once stand up for the rights, identity and future of our students?” he asked.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 09:36 IST
