TN election 2021: What will the education sector gain if these parties get voted to power?

While a lot of parties promise to abolish NEET and set up free coaching centres, some have a few other interesting takes too
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: Express)
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: Express)

In less than  24 hours, the adult population of Tamil Nadu will head to polling booths to elect their next leader. While political and candidate preferences are already decided in most minds, we break down the manifestoes of all the major political parties here to tell you what to expect in the education sector if any of these political parties come to power.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has been ruling the state for a decade now. The party says that if the people of Tamil Nadu vote it back to power, it will provide free 2GB data to college students throughout the year, waive off their education loans, provide mid-day meals until Class XII, bring education under the state list, set up a separate skill development university, set up separate coaching centres to prepare for UPSC, NEET, JEE, TNPSC and other competitive examinations and make Tamil a compulsory subject in schools. They also vow to provide free milk or milk powder to school students and give laptops to government school students.

A lot of their promises are similar to that of their rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's. The party also promises free milk, vows to make Tamil a mandate until class VIII, bring education under the state list and waive off education loans for people under the age of 30. Their other promises include abolishing NEET, provision of free sanitary napkins to women students, free tablets. They also said that they will attempt to make Thirukual a national textbook.

TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam promises to develop all government schools, provide Rs 10,000 assistance for rural girls, set up free competitive exam coaching centres, fill up all vacant government employee and teacher posts.

AIADMK's ally Bharatiya Janata Party too promises free tablets to students of classes VIII and IX, set up coaching centres and skill development centres. They also vow to add ancient Tamil texts in the school syllabus, make the state syllabus on par with the CBSE syllabus, add lessons on agriculture, yoga and moral instruction.

While BJP also promises to implement the new National Education Policy in the state, Indian National Congress refuses to accept it. They also vow to abolish NEET and waive off education loans borrowed until December 2020. Until NEET is withdrawn, they will set up coaching centres to help students crack it and increase reservation for rural students in medical education to 10 per cent from 7.5 per cent.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam promises to cancel NEET and proposes to start a SEET exam for Tamil Nadu students instead. If they get voted to power, the part says that it won't allow any new private school in the 5 km vicinity of a government school. The Tamil nationalist Naam Tamilar Katchi promises free education from elementary school to PhD, a Tamil curriculum and a student loan waiver.

S Ramadoss' Pattali Makkal Katchi offers free education to students, even in private schools, standardisation of curriculum, 50 per cent reservation for Tamils in centre-run institutes like IITs and IIMs, an extension of 10 per cent quota for admission into Anna University and government engineering colleges. They also promise to select 2000 boys and girls based on merit to take up higher education abroad with scholarship.

Tamil Nadu Youth Party promises quality education in government schools, provision of Rs 500 for government school students for skill development, payment of fees only through government-created bank accounts. While they ask government officials and people's representatives to only send their children to government schools, they vow to bring all private schools under RTE.

Now, have you decided whom to vote for?

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