Puducherry Assembly witnesses noisy scenes over NEP

DMK and Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the Puducherry Assembly over the issue of NEP, on Monday
| Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar

The Puducherry Assembly on Monday (March 17, 2025) witnessed noisy scenes as legislators from the ruling AINRC-BJP alliance and the Opposition DMK-Congress combine engaged in heated exchanges over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in the Union Territory (UT). The DMK and Congress MLAs, after the argument, staged a walkout from the House for a brief period.

The topic of the NEP came up during the question-and-answer session when AINRC legislator Chandira Priyanga raised the issue of an all-pass system for board examinations. Answering her query, Home Minister A. Namassivayam, who also holds the Education portfolio, said the present system of passing every child till Class 8 will continue for this academic year. However, the system may not be applicable from the next academic year, he said.

Thanking the government for continuing the all-pass system for this academic year, Ms. Priyanga said though she welcomed the NEP as a whole, there are concerns about the vocational training programme given for students as part of the policy. “A student who undergoes vocational training while in Class 5 may not come back to the school as he will start earning. The issue has to be addressed,” she said.

As she was making these remarks, DMK member A.M.H Nazeem stood up to voice the Dravidan party’s opposition to the NEP. The other DMK and Congress members also followed suit, expressing their displeasure. Ms. Priyanga objected to the DMK and Congress members using her statement to raise their opposition in the House. “You (Congress-DMK) might have different reasons for opposing the education policy. Don’t try to drag me into that. I am not against students learning Hindi or NEP. In fact, I am also a victim of not learning Hindi,” she said.

When DMK and Congress members continued to raise their voice against the NEP, Ms. Priyanga said, pointing at Mr. Nazeem, that the legislator’s children were studying in a CBSE school. “Your children and my children are studying in CBSE schools. So, why do you create an objection for everything,” she asked.

As she made this statement, AINRC and BJP legislators joined Ms. Priyanga to criticise the Opposition for “deliberately creating a ruckus to gain political mileage.” Even Independent legislator Nehru alias Kuppusamy, who has been critical of the BJP, criticised the DMK and Congress for disrupting the proceedings. Meanwhile, Ms. Priyanga stood on her chair as a mark of protest for “not allowing a woman member to function in the House.”

Opposition leader and DMK convenor R. Siva said the government was “fulfilling RSS ideology” in education in the Union Territory and later staged a walkout with other members. They returned to the House in a minute.

Mr. Namassivayam later said the vocational training programme would be given only to Class 9 students and not Class 5 students. “She has raised her concerns and the government will certainly deliberate on the issues related to the implementation of vocational training in schools as part of the NEP,” he said.

Mr. Namassivayam also condemned the DMK and Congress for obstructing the speech of a woman member. “The Speaker should take stern action for the continuous obstruction created by the Opposition,” he added.