Lok Sabha Question No. 1233 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-28
Subject: Zero Tamil Language Teachers in KVs in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Kalanidhi Veeraswamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1233 ANSWERED ON 28.07.2025

## ZERO TAMIL LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN KVs IN TAMIL NADU

## 1233.   DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that there are zero permanent Tamil language teachers appointed in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the reasons for such a glaring disparity, particularly when there are reportedly 86  permanent  Hindi  teachers  and  65  permanent  Sanskrit  teachers  posted  in  the same schools;
- (c) whether  the  Government  considers  this  imbalance  a  violation  of  linguistic  equality and  the  rights  of  Tamil-speaking  students  to  receive  education  in  their  mother tongue, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  details  of  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  the  immediate recruitment of permanent Tamil language teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas in Tamil Nadu; and
- (e) whether the Government will formulate any policy to ensure equal representation of regional languages,  especially  Tamil,  in  central  educational  institutions in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a)  to  (d)  Kendriya  Vidyalayas  (KVs)  primarily  cater  to  students  who  are  the  wards  of transferable Central Government employees who come from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Therefore, the medium of communication and instruction in KVs is Hindi and English.  KVs  being  'specified  category'  schools  are  mandated  to  provide  uniform education  to  the  wards  of  transferable  Central  Government  employees  across  the country.  Accordingly,  the  sanctioned  post  of  language  teachers  in  KVs  are  for  Hindi, English, and Sanskrit languages.

However, the Article 112 of the Education Code  of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan  (KVS)  has  provisions  for  teaching  regional  languages  which  provides  for additional arrangement for teaching of the regional language/ mother tongue, provided 15  or  more  students  are  willing  to  opt  for  the  same.  For  this,  part-time  contractual teachers are appointed. Additionally,  as  approved  by  Board  of  Governors  (BoG)  of  KVS,  all  KVs have been directed to engage local/regional language teachers on contractual basis on a  need-based  requirement  to  support  children  at  the  Foundational  and Preparatory stages, especially when they face difficulties in understanding concepts taught in Hindi or English. As per information received from KVS, Tamil is taught through the Tamil Virtual Academy (TVA), an autonomous organization under the Tamil Nadu State Government, in  40  out  of  46  KVs  of  Tamil  Nadu.  In  addition  to  this,  contractual  teachers  are  also engaged in 31 KVs to teach Tamil in physical mode.

(e) The  National Education  Policy,  2020  focuses  on promotion  of all Indian languages  including  Tamil.  NEP  2020  provides,  wherever  possible,  for  medium  of instruction to be in the home language/mother tongue/local language up to at least class 5 and preferably class 8. The policy also provides for making available quality text books in  home language/mother tongue and encouraging teachers to use bilingual approach while teaching.

Government of India has established a separate institute namely Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT) at Chennai which works for the development and promotion of Classical Tamil. CICT conducts seminars, workshops, short term projects and translation of  Tirukkural  into  Scheduled  Languages  and  other  languages  for  the  promotion  and development of Classical Tamil. CICT undertakes works for promotion of classical Tamil translation of available 41 Tamil Classical Texts into various languages. CICT has made Braille  conversion  of  41  classical  texts  enabling  visually  challenged  to  experience  the ancient Tamil literature. CICT in collaboration with NCERT have launched PM e-vidya Tamil channel for the promotion of Tamil language.

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