Tamil Nadu IT and Digital Services Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Wednesday mounted a sharp defence of the state’s language policy, daring the Centre to “do better” if it wants Tamil Nadu to reconsider its stand on the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP). He made the remarks while speaking at India Today’s Tamil Nadu Roundtable event.
With the Assembly elections approaching and alliance talks intensifying in Tamil Nadu, India Today hosted the high-profile event, which brings together leading politicians, strategists, policymakers and analysts.
When asked about the three-language formula, the Minister clarified that the DMK government is not opposed to Hindi as a language, but to what it calls its imposition through policy.
“We are anti-Hindi imposition, not anti-Hindi. We are anti NEET, and anti anybody trying to tell us what exam we should conduct to filter or select our applicants, who are our children, going to our colleges funded with our money, in a system which is by far the most superior health system than any state in India,” he said.
“We don’t like being told that you have to dump yourself down, or you have to adopt a model that is inferior to ours because God says so, or the dictator says so… For us to even contemplate changing our ways, they have to do things better than us. What is it that you have done better than us that we should listen to you?” the DMK leader asked.
#IndiaTodayTNRoundTable | “We are anti-Hindi imposition. We are not anti-Hindi… We are anti-NEET and we are anti anybody trying to tell us what exam we should use to filter or select our applicants…” says Tamil Nadu’s IT & Digital Services Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan pic.twitter.com/OQWVk8k1TR— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 11, 2026
The Minister’s remarks come amid Tamil Nadu’s continued opposition to the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP), which the state argues places a disproportionate burden on non-Hindi-speaking regions. The DMK has consistently maintained that its two-language policy — Tamil and English — has effectively served students and aligns with the state’s educational and cultural priorities.
Further in his remarks, Thiaga Rajan also questioned why Tamil Nadu should alter its long-standing two-language policy to align with what he described as a system favouring Hindi-speaking states.
“Whoever wants to speak Hindi, they can. I will not have you dictate to me, that I should increase the curriculum of my government schools to three subjects and dilute the learning experience of my people when there is no marginal upside for me,” he said. “Why should we adapt to them? It becomes three languages for us, while it is effectively one language for the Hindi belt and two for us.”
DRAVIDIAN MODEL 2.0
Thiaga Rajan also strongly defended what he called the “Dravidian Model 2.0”, positioning it as a proven alternative to the so-called “Gujarat model” and arguing that India’s future hinges on which development path it adopts.
He dismissed criticisms that the DMK government is merely battling anti-incumbency ahead of elections. Instead, he framed the party’s governance as an evolution of a century-old social justice framework.
“The notion of inclusion is at the heart of Dravidian 2.0,” he said, outlining pillars such as social equity, educational access, reservation policies and equal opportunity. “We started with social structure — justice, education, opportunity — more than 100 years ago. That foundation feeds into economic growth.”
The IT Minister contrasted this with what he described as the “alleged Gujarat model,” recalling that he had publicly questioned its effectiveness as early as 2018.
Drawing a broader comparison between governance frameworks, the minister argued that the debate over “models” has become shorthand for deeper ideological differences.
“The future of the South is bright,” he said. “The future of the rest of the country depends on the extent to which they adopt and follow the Dravidian model, the South model, or the Tamil Nadu model. Our future is bright because we have a good model.”
#IndiaTodayTNRoundTable | “This future of the South is bright, the future of the rest of the country depends the extent to which they adopt and follow the Dravidian model or the South model or the Tamil Nadu model… Our future is bright because we have a good model,” says Tamil pic.twitter.com/C23pSS15Uh— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 11, 2026
CORRUPTION AND DYNASTIC POLITICS
Addressing frequent allegations of corruption and dynastic politics often levelled at regional parties, Thiaga Rajan said such issues are not unique to any one state.
“Name one state where there isn’t corruption or dynastic politics,” he said. “Corruption is a universal problem. There is no purity anywhere. The question is: who delivers better outcomes?”
The minister maintained that governance outcomes, not rhetoric, should be the basis of comparison, reiterating that Tamil Nadu’s social indicators and economic performance demonstrate the strength of its approach.
– Ends
Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Feb 11, 2026
