DMK to protest Centre's attempt to make Sanskrit mandatory, announces statewide agitation on 20 Jan

Chennai: DMK on Monday announced statewide protests on 20 January against what it called an attempt by the Centre to thrust education “inclined toward religion” and make “Sanskrit compulsory” through the proposed National Education Policy.

The agitation, to be led by DMK district secretaries in front of state and central government offices in all districts, will also oppose the proposed National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET).

DMK working president MK Stalin in a party release alleged that “in the name of National Education policy, the Centre is being proactive to thrust an education system inclined toward religion and make Sanskrit a compulsory language”.

He claimed NEET would adversely affect the poor and rural students’ prospects of pursuing higher education.

In Tamil Nadu, students to professional courses, including medicine and engineering, are selected on the basis of marks secured by them in Class 12 examination.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had last month told PTI that the government will announce a committee, which would draft the national education policy.

The ministry had already held comprehensive discussions with all stakeholders, including states, educational institutes, parliamentarians and experts, he had said.

The draft New Education Policy was released in June last. The proposed policy focuses on areas including preventing gender discrimination, a common curriculum for science, mathematics and English and setting up educational tribunals.