Mon Mar 17 10:27:20 UTC 2025: ## Puducherry Assembly Sees Walkout Over NEP Implementation

**Puducherry, March 17, 2025** – The Puducherry Assembly witnessed heated exchanges and a brief walkout on Monday during a debate on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). The disagreement stemmed from differing views on the policy’s vocational training component and its overall impact.

The debate began when AINRC legislator Chandira Priyanga raised concerns about the all-pass system for board examinations, praising its continuation for the current academic year but expressing worry about the vocational training program’s potential to pull students out of school prematurely. She suggested that starting vocational training in Class 5 could lead students to forgo further education to enter the workforce.

This prompted a strong reaction from DMK and Congress MLAs, who voiced their opposition to the NEP itself, leading to a shouting match and a brief walkout by the opposition members. The situation escalated when Ms. Priyanga pointed out the hypocrisy of the DMK MLA, A.M.H Nazeem, whose children attend a CBSE school, further fueling the tension.

AINRC and BJP legislators joined Ms. Priyanga in criticizing the opposition for disrupting the assembly proceedings, with Independent legislator Nehru alias Kuppusamy also condemning the walkout. Ms. Priyanga further protested the disruption by standing on her chair, highlighting the silencing of a female member’s voice.

Opposition leader R. Siva accused the government of pushing an “RSS ideology” in education, before joining the walkout, which lasted only a short time.

Home Minister A. Namassivayam, who also holds the Education portfolio, responded by clarifying that the vocational training would begin in Class 9, not Class 5, addressing Ms. Priyanga’s concerns. He further condemned the DMK and Congress for obstructing a woman member’s speech and urged the Speaker to take action.

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