Viswanathan Anand, Jawaharnesan in Tamil Nadu panel to review state education policy

The Tamil Nadu government’s high-level panel to frame the new state education policy is headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court D Murugesan and comprises activist T M Krishna, chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand among others.

The constitution of the 13-member panel was announced on April 5. The M K Stalin government has brought in people from diverse backgrounds to take a broader view of the existing state education policy. Earlier, Stalin said the new education policy will give importance to ancient culture of Tamil Nadu, its present status and the future objectives.

Besides Anand and Krishna, the 13-member panel comprises former Vice-Chancellor of Saveetha University L Jawaharnesan; retired professor from the Institute of Mathematical Science R Ramanujam; state planning commission members Sultan Ismail and R Sreenivasan; former education specialist with the UNICEF Aruna Ratnam; Tamil writer S Ramakrishnan; educationists Tulsidas and S Madasamy; headmaster of Government Panchayat Union Middle School, Kichankuppam, Nagapattinam district, R Balu; and Jayashree Damodaran from Agaram Foundation.

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Chief Minister Stalin said the panel will give its recommendations on forming the new education policy within a year. Notably, the announcement regarding formation of the new education policy was made during the interim Budget for 2021-22.

The DMK government in the state has time and again opposed certain provision of the National Education Policy. Be it the common entrance exam for all UGC courses or introduction of a three-language formula, the Tamil Nadu government has not missed an opportunity to register its objections. The state is also against common exams for Classes 3, 5, and 8 and four-year degrees and also giving options for multiple exits.