Chennai, Feb 11 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has categorically rejected viral claims circulating on social media that students appearing for the Class 10 public examinations have been exempted from writing the Tamil language paper.
Officials described the reports as “completely false” and urged the public not to be misled by unverified messages.
Over the past week, posts shared widely on WhatsApp and X alleged that the state had decided not to make Tamil compulsory in the SSLC examinations.
The messages further claimed that students from linguistic minority communities would be allowed to write the examinations in their respective mother tongues instead of Tamil.
The claims quickly spread across the state, creating confusion and anxiety among students, parents and teachers.
The issue also took on a political dimension. Some leaders, including Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman, criticised what they believed was a dilution of Tamil’s status in the school curriculum.
The rumours sparked a debate about the state’s long-standing commitment to protecting Tamil language education.
However, Tamil Nadu Fact Check (TN Fact Check), the state government’s official information verification agency, stepped in to clarify the matter and dismiss the viral claims.
In an official statement, the agency said that no such policy decision has been taken and that Tamil remains a compulsory subject in the Class 10 public examinations.
Authorities also provided context to explain how the misunderstanding arose.
Between 2020 and 2023, students studying in recognised linguistic minority schools were temporarily exempted from writing the Tamil paper following directions from the Madras High Court.
The exemption was granted only to specific schools that had formally sought relief.
Based on these requests, the concession was extended only for the 2023–24 academic year.
Officials stressed that this relaxation was temporary and not a permanent rule.
Importantly, no exemption was granted in 2025.
The government reiterated that Tamil continues to be mandatory under existing regulations and warned against spreading misinformation that could cause unnecessary panic among students.
Parents and students have been advised to rely solely on official announcements from the School Education Department for accurate information regarding the examinations.
–IANS
aal/pgh