Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday rejected the Centre's three-language formula proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and said there will not be any deviation from the two-language policy being followed in the state.

Taking strong exception to the proposal for the three-language formula in the NEP, chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who chaired a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat here, said the state has been following the two-language policy for several decades and there will be no change in it.

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"Tamil Nadu will never allow the Centre's three-language policy. The state will continue with its dual language policy (of Tamil and English)," the chief minister said.

"The three-language formula in the NEP is painful and saddening. The prime minister should reconsider the three-language policy," he said, adding the Centre should allow the states to implement their own policy on the subject.

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Palaniswami said there will be no change to the two-language formula which the state had adopted decades ago.

Teaching up to Class V in the mother tongue or regional language and lowering the stakes of board exams are part of the sweeping reforms in the new NEP unveiled last week.

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