Varanasi, Feb 23 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said the New Education Policy (NEP) is a step in the direction of preparing the youth for the future technological challenges of the new world.

The EAM's praise for the NEP comes at a time when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has opposed the policy, warning that it would regress the state by 2,000 years.

Speaking at the Kashi Tamil Sangamamam 3.0 in Varanasi, Jaishankar highlighted the government's efforts to develop talent with a focus on both tradition and technology, crediting the NEP for the strides taken by the country in areas like space, AI and drones.

Today many universities have drone programmes, he said, showcasing the catalyst role played by NEP for nurturing young talent and preparing them to reposition India as a global source of technology.

The EAM said the Narendra Modi government is keen to get feedback from the public about its programmes, including schemes for startups, from people in interior parts of states, especially for women.

'I will pass on the message to the people in charge to increase the messaging about Central programmes for the benefit of people in the interiors not only in Tamil Nadu but also in other parts of the country,' he said.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin reiterated that the state would reject the NEP even if the Union government offered financial incentives worth Rs 10,000 crore.

CM Stalin criticised the NEP's three-language policy, accusing the Union government of attempting to impose Hindi on Tamils.

He asserted that his administration would not tolerate any move that undermines the state's identity or the prominence of the Tamil language.

Highlighting disparities in language funding, the Chief Minister pointed out that despite Tamil being spoken by nearly eight crore people, the Central government had allocated only Rs 74 crore for its development. In contrast, Sanskrit, spoken by only a few thousand people, received a significantly higher allocation of Rs 1,488 crore.

Tamil Nadu has been at odds with the Central government over the NEP, with the ruling DMK accusing the Union Education Ministry of withholding crucial funds for key educational programmes.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin reaffirmed that the state would continue following its long-standing two-language policy, promoting only Tamil and English in its education system.

On Friday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit out at Tamil Nadu CM Stalin on the three-language NEP Policy issue, saying that it "was inappropriate for the State to view NEP 2020 with a myopic vision and spin progressive educational reforms into threats to sustain their political narrative".

He also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is fully committed to promoting and popularising the eternal Tamil culture and language globally.

/IANS