Overview

• Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi criticized the National Education Policy (NEP) for its potential to increase student dropouts, citing the state's historically low dropout rates.
• He warned that early standardized exams for Classes 3, 5, and 8, along with the rollback of the no-detention policy, could disproportionately harm economically and socially disadvantaged students.
• Parents were urged to oppose the CBSE’s detention policy for Classes 5 and 8, which the Minister argued places undue pressure on children and families.
• The Minister also condemned the Central Government for announcing a caste census without a clear timeline and criticized the financial burden of enrolling students in CBSE schools.
• The DMK government reaffirmed its commitment to alternative education reforms tailored to Tamil Nadu’s inclusive and student-friendly model, resisting key NEP provisions.