‘Great mobility in work’: Mohandas Pai backs 3-language policy, calls it a ‘big competitive advantage’

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Sunday voiced strong support for the three-language policy, stressing its role in enhancing job mobility. He described it as a “very big skill” that gives Indians a competitive edge in the workforce. "Learning more languages enables people to work across India. It is a very big skill, and the three-language formula has given us great mobility in work. It is a big competitive advantage,” Pai said in a post on X.

His remarks came in response to a post by user Karthik Reddy, who argued that the policy could encourage linguistic exchange between northern and southern states. Reddy stated, “Through the three-language policy, Southern states can impress on Northern states to learn Tamil, Telugu, or Kannada, showcasing opportunity benefit when they migrate down south. Similarly, the rest of the South can learn each other’s language instead of Hindi. I hope this is fair & could work!”

Reddy further highlighted that the policy introduced in 2020 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government promotes multilingualism, unlike the 1968 Congress-era education policy that mandated Hindi. “Because the new three-language formula, designed in 2020 by PM Modi Govt via ISRO ex-Chair Kasturirangan, allows this to happen. Unlike the mandatory rule of Hindi created by Congress Education Policy 1968, 'RSS-BJP' designed Education Policy celebrates multilingualism & is truly national,” he wrote.

Pai's endorsement of the policy comes amid a standoff between the Centre and Tamil Nadu. Janasena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday underscored the importance of linguistic diversity in India, stating that the country “needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two.”

Speaking at the party’s 12th foundation day event in Andhra Pradesh’s Pithapuram, Kalyan said that embracing linguistic plurality is essential for national unity. “India needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two. We must embrace linguistic diversity—not only to maintain the integrity of our nation but also to foster love and unity among its people,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been opposing the National Education Policy's three-language formula, describing it as an attempt at “Hindi imposition.” Without directly naming the DMK, Kalyan questioned Tamil Nadu politicians’ stance on Hindi. “I do not understand why some criticize Sanskrit. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi—what kind of logic is that?” he asked.

Later, Kalyan clarified his position in a post, stating that opposition to Hindi should not be based on misinformation. “Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly; both doesn’t help to achieve the objective of national & cultural integration of our Bharat. I had never opposed Hindi as a language. I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not enforce Hindi, spreading false narratives about its imposition is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public,” he wrote.

He reiterated that NEP 2020 allows students to choose any two Indian languages along with a foreign language. “If they do not wish to study Hindi, they can also opt for Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Assamese, Kashmiri, Odia, Bengali, Punjabi, Sindhi, Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Meitei, Nepali, Santali, Urdu, or any other Indian language,” he explained.

Kalyan also dismissed claims that he had changed his stance on Hindi. “The multi-language policy is designed to empower students with choice, promote national unity, and preserve India’s rich linguistic diversity. Misinterpreting this policy for political agendas and claiming that @PawanKalyan changed his stance only reflects a lack of understanding. @JanaSenaParty firmly stands by the principle of linguistic freedom and educational choice for every Indian.”