Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M.K. Stalin doubled down on his defiance of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) on Saturday, declaring that he would not implement it even if the central government dangled a Rs 10,000 crore carrot before his state. The remarks, delivered at an event organized by the Parents-Teachers Association in the coastal town of Cuddalore, intensify a simmering conflict with New Delhi that has reignited debates over linguistic identity, educational autonomy, and social equity in India’s southern powerhouse.

Stalin’s latest salvo builds on the language war we reported yesterday, where Tamil Nadu’s resistance to perceived Hindi imposition has clashed with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government’s push for national uniformity. But the Chief Minister made clear that his opposition to the NEP transcends the linguistic battleground. “We are not opposed to any language, but we will remain firm against its imposition,” he said. “The NEP is regressive. It will drive students away from schools.”

Unveiled in 2020, the NEP aims to overhaul India’s education system with measures like a common entrance test for college admissions and public exams for younger students. Critics like Stalin argue it threatens the state’s progressive educational legacy and undermines social justice. He pointed to provisions that would allow students to discontinue their studies—a move he likened to “asking them not to study”—and warned of a screening test for arts and science colleges, akin to the contentious NEET for medical admissions.

Stalin also accused the policy of stripping financial aid from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Backward Class students, a charge that strikes at Tamil Nadu’s decades-long commitment to caste-based affirmative action. “The Centre says Tamil Nadu will get 2,000 crore rupees if we implement the NEP,” he said. “I say we won’t agree even for 10,000 crore. I will not commit the sin of pushing Tamil Nadu backward by 2,000 years.”

As this standoff deepens, it underscores a broader tussle over federalism in India—and whether New Delhi’s vision can accommodate the south’s fierce regional pride.