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Chennai, May 19 (IANS) The new Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu, led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, has reaffirmed its commitment to the state’s long-standing two-language policy, with School Education Minister Rajmohan declaring that there would be no change in the formula under the current administration.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday after his first review meeting with senior officials of the School Education Department, Rajmohan said the two-language system of Tamil and English would continue in schools across the state and described it as fundamental to both Tamil Nadu and the TVK government.

“English seems to be enough, and TVK will not yield to any form of indirect pressure,” Rajmohan asserted, adding: “There is no compromise on the party’s principles and ideology.”

The Minister said Tamil, as the mother tongue, would remain the primary language for communication within the state, while English would continue to serve as the medium to engage with the wider world.

“Two-language policy is TVK’s declared ideology,” he said. Rajmohan’s remarks came amid renewed pressure from the Union government to implement the three-language formula through schemes such as the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) initiative.

Asked whether Tamil Nadu would join the PM SHRI scheme in its present form, the Minister said the state would first examine whether the conditions attached to the programme aligned with Tamil Nadu’s educational goals and priorities.

Only after such an assessment, the government will take a final decision on participating in centrally sponsored schemes, he added.

“We have not received the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds for the past two years, which is a huge tragedy for the students and the education sector,” Rajmohan said. He added that the funds were meant for students and not for officials.

“At the same time, we will not yield to any form of indirect pressure,” the Minister said. Rajmohan underlined that the new TVK administration would not dilute Tamil Nadu’s long-held position on language in education.

According to him, the two-language framework was not merely an administrative arrangement, but reflected the state’s broader commitment to protecting Tamil while equipping students with English for opportunities outside the state and abroad.

Referring to Singapore, he said its founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, transformed the poverty-stricken country into a leading global nation by using English, rather than Mandarin or any other language, to connect with the world.

He described the government’s stand as a matter of both cultural self-respect and practical empowerment for students.

The Minister also said that women’s rights and the rights of the soil formed the core ideology of the TVK government.

--IANS

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