I am a product of three languages: Nara Lokesh backs NEP, says Hindi not mandatory

At the India Today South Conclave 2025, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh defended the National Education Policy’s (NEP) three-language formula while addressing concerns raised by Tamil Nadu, which has opposed the policy, saying it amounts to the imposition of Hindi.

Lokesh said the NEP only prescribes learning three languages and does not specify Hindi as the compulsory third. “When I met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi, he made it clear that we should focus on the medium of instruction in the mother tongue. As an Indian, I know the importance of mother tongue. I also know the importance of learning Hindi,” he said.

Highlighting his own experience, Lokesh noted, “I am a product of three languages. My son is also a product of three. Today, our kids learn five languages, German, Japanese, and more, so they can work in those countries.”

When asked what he would tell Tamil Nadu, which has consistently rejected the policy, Lokesh maintained that citizens should have the freedom to learn the language of their choice. “No one is saying the third language is Hindi,” he clarified.

On whether it was time for northern states to learn southern languages, Lokesh responded, “Why not? In Andhra Pradesh, in border areas, the medium of instruction also includes Odia, Tamil, Kannada, and more. Kids should learn based on what they want, not on political decisions.”

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