'I'm Still Learning English': Tamil Nadu Minister Keerthana Responds To School Video Row

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 14:05 IST

Keerthana rejected claims that she had mocked a government school student and said the criticism was unfair to students from similar backgrounds.

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana has defended herself after facing criticism over a video showing her interacting with a government school student and commenting on the child’s English-speaking ability.

Responding on Tuesday in a post on X, Keerthana rejected claims that she had mocked a government school student and said the criticism was unfair to students from similar backgrounds.

“Today, some people are spreading a false story that ‘she mocked a government school student.’ Do you know what the truth is? I myself am a government school student. I myself studied in Tamil-medium education," she wrote.

‘I am still learning English’

Keerthana said she studied mathematics, science and social science entirely in Tamil and did not have the opportunity to study French as a second language or attend an expensive private school.

She said she struggled with English after entering the corporate world but gradually improved. “I made mistakes. I learned. I’m still learning. And I have no shame in that," she said.

The minister argued that those mocking her English were, in reality, mocking government school students and millions of children studying in the Tamil medium.

She said her aim was to ensure that government school and Tamil-medium students could confidently speak on any platform. “Criticize me. Question my work. But don’t mock the self-confidence of an entire generation," she said.

Keerthana also clarified that the video circulating online had been recorded by the media and not by her. She also questioned how many children of the politicians criticising her were actually studying in government schools and in the Tamil medium.

Video sparks criticism

The controversy began after Keerthana visited a government girls’ high school in Virudhunagar last Thursday as part of an inspection.

During the visit, she interacted with a student and asked a teacher to speak to the girl in English. As the student struggled to respond, the minister remarked on the English-speaking skills of students, particularly those sitting on the last bench.

The video drew criticism from education stakeholders and child rights activists, who argued that such interactions could embarrass children from vulnerable backgrounds.

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Shuddhanta Patra

Shuddhanta Patra, a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience, serves as Senior Sub‑Editor at CNN News 18. With expertise across national politics, geopolitics, business news, she has influen...Read More

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