Amit Shah Challenges Tamil Nadu CM Stalin to Introduce Tamil in Engineering Education

Chennai,  – Union Home Minister Amit Shah has challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to "walk the talk" on linguistic preservation by introducing Tamil as a medium of instruction in medical and engineering education. Shah made these remarks while addressing the 56th Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), where he highlighted the Modi government's initiatives to promote linguistic diversity in education and recruitment.

The Home Minister pointed out that candidates can now take CISF exams in their mother tongues, including Tamil. He questioned the DMK government's opposition to Hindi while urging them to develop professional courses in Tamil to benefit local students and preserve the state's linguistic heritage.

This challenge comes amid an ongoing debate over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula, which has been strongly opposed by the Tamil Nadu government. CM Stalin has criticized the policy, alleging that it is an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states.

In response, the DMK dismissed Shah's remarks as a political move, accusing the BJP of creating a false narrative. Party leaders argued that while the Center claims to support regional languages, it spends significantly more on promoting Hindi and Sanskrit than on Tamil or other regional languages. They also criticized the allocation of funds, stating that the government spends crores on Hindi education but offers little financial support for Tamil-medium learning in professional courses.

As the language debate intensifies, the BJP and DMK continue to spar over the role of Tamil in higher education, with implications for the state's educational policies and cultural identity.