Telangana government makes Telugu mandatory in all schools
What's the story
The Telangana government has directed all schools in the state to make Telugu a mandatory subject. This includes CBSE, ICSE, and IB-affiliated institutions. The policy aims to ensure students learn their mother tongue, or regional language if they hail from outside the state. From academic year 2025-26 for Class IX and 2026-27 for Class X, the syllabus will change from 'Standard Telugu' to 'Simple Telugu.'
Educational alignment
Telangana's language policy aligns with CBSE reforms
The Telangana government's move to make Telugu compulsory in schools comes just days after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)'s proposed educational reform. From the 2025-26 academic session, CBSE will introduce two board exams in a bid to ease academic pressure on students. The reform is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), which stresses on an Indian culture-based education system meeting global standards.
Policy controversy
Language policy dispute amid NEP's 3-language formula
The Telangana government's decision was also announced amid a language policy row between Tamil Nadu and the Centre over the NEP's three-language formula. Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party opposes the policy, claiming it imposes Hindi on students. The state currently follows a two-language policy, teaching English and Tamil. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has slammed the objections as politically motivated, saying "the NEP does not impose any language on states."
Political campaign
BJP's campaign and potential funding loss for Tamil Nadu
Despite pushback from local leaders, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to launch a door-to-door campaign in Tamil Nadu to promote the three-language policy. The party hopes to gain political ground in a state where it has historically struggled to win over voters. Pradhan also emphasized that Tamil Nadu could lose out on significant funding by not implementing NEP provisions, saying, "Tamil Nadu is losing ₹5,000 crore by not implementing PM Shri schools which is focused on scientific education."