HC moved for implementing Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006

CHENNAI: A litigant approached the Madras High Court for a direction to strictly implement the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006 to ensure that government and private schools are teaching Tamil in the state.

S Raghavan, a resident from Porur filed this petition for a direction to draw up a scheme for the enactment of Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006 in order to write Tamil as a subject in Class X public exam in 2026.

While admitting the petition for hearing, the first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy directed the state government to file its response within two weeks.

According to the petitioner, though the Act came into force with effect from 19th June 2006, seldom or no effort has been taken by the TN government to implement the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006.

"In June 2014, the government issued guidelines on the public exam scheduled to be held in March 2016. However, many schools that had not taught Tamil as a second language stated that there were only two more years to prepare their students for the public examination," the petitioner said in his affidavit.

He added that since the schools approached the HC, an interim order was passed in favor of the schools by way of providing exemption to students who have not taken Tamil as a subject in the exam.

"The government agreed to teach Tamil subject in standards I to X in all schools including CBSE, ICSE in a phased manner commencing from the academic year 2015-2016 for Class I, from the academic year 2016-2017 for Class I and II and shall be extended so on and so forth up to Class X in the academic year of 2024-2025," the petitioner stated.

He pointed out that although a larger bench of the HC accepted the proposal, the state has not implemented the same.