On March 7, 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at the CISF Day event at the newly renamed Rajaditya Chola Recruits Training Centre in Thakkolam, Ranipet district, emphasized the importance of mother tongue in education. He pointed out that previously, exams for the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) could not be taken in regional languages such as Tamil, Kannada, or Bengali. However, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the exams were made available in all languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, including Tamil, allowing Tamil Nadu youth to take the exams in their native language.
During his address, Shah also called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to expand the use of Tamil in education, specifically in medical and engineering courses. He urged the state to adopt Tamil as the medium of instruction for these courses, a suggestion he had been making for two years. Shah expressed hope that the Tamil Nadu government would take action soon.
History of Tamil Medium Engineering Education in Tamil Nadu
The push for Tamil medium education in engineering dates back to 2010, under the government led by M. Karunanidhi. The Tamil Nadu government introduced two engineering courses—Civil and Mechanical Engineering—taught in Tamil at Anna University as an experiment. Additionally, undergraduate examination question papers were made available in both English and Tamil, allowing students to answer in either language.
Karunanidhi, during the 2010 Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions counseling, praised the initiative, noting that some students who had studied in English medium schools also opted for Tamil-medium courses, attracted by the opportunity to study at prestigious institutions like the College of Engineering, Guindy. Later, the DMK government passed an ordinance reserving 20% of state government jobs for Tamil-medium students.
Decline in Popularity and Recent Developments
Despite initial enthusiasm, the Tamil medium engineering courses saw a decline in student enrollment over the years. In May 2023, Anna University decided to suspend Tamil medium courses in 11 of its constituent colleges due to poor patronage. This move sparked controversy, and the university reversed its decision after advice from the state’s Higher Education Minister. The university had considered replacing civil and mechanical engineering courses with more in-demand programs, such as Computer Science, offered in Tamil.
An AICTE survey in 2021 revealed that a small but notable portion of students—12,487 out of 85,195 surveyed—preferred Tamil medium engineering education.
Medical Education in Tamil
The idea of introducing Tamil medium education in medical colleges was initially proposed in 2010, with hopes to introduce the language into medical curricula. However, this plan did not materialize after the DMK lost the 2011 elections.
In October 2022, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian stated that efforts were underway to introduce Tamil medium courses in medical colleges, especially in districts where no medical colleges exist. Professors were tasked with translating medical textbooks into Tamil to support this initiative. Further discussions took place in December 2022 when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman supported the idea of teaching medical and allied health courses in Tamil. Although the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University expressed its intention to offer courses in both Tamil and English, and promised to provide Tamil textbooks when needed, the plan has yet to come to fruition.
The Union Government’s Response to Regional Language Recruitment
The debate over regional languages in education and recruitment continued in April 2023 when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin criticized the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for conducting recruitment exams solely in Hindi and English. He wrote to Amit Shah urging the inclusion of Tamil and other regional languages in the recruitment process.
In response, the CRPF clarified that it had never conducted its recruitment exams in regional languages. However, in a significant development, the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to include 13 regional languages in the recruitment exams for CAPF constables starting January 2024, alongside Hindi and English.
Conclusion
The discussion surrounding Tamil medium education, particularly in engineering and medical fields, remains a complex issue in Tamil Nadu. While there have been efforts to implement Tamil as the medium of instruction in higher education, challenges such as declining interest and the need for updated resources persist. As the Union government continues to push for greater regional language representation, the future of Tamil medium education hangs in the balance, with both political and educational authorities needing to address the practical implications of these proposals.
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