Sanskrit Teachers Outnumber Regional Language Teachers

Parliamentary data has revealed a stark disparity in language teacher deployment across India's *Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India* (PM SHRI) scheme. In Tamil Nadu's 36 PM SHRI schools, 41 Sanskrit teachers are employed compared to just 12 teachers for regional languages, prompting CPM MP S Venkatesan to question the scheme's language priorities.

Venkatesan highlighted concerns about Tamil-speaking students studying in other states without adequate access to mother tongue instruction. He challenged the BJP's three-language policy, calling the data proof that claims of promoting regional languages are false.

Nationally, the imbalance is significant: 6,102 Sanskrit teachers serve PM SHRI schools across the country, while only 9,152 teach regional languages despite far greater demand. States like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Odisha show particularly high Sanskrit teacher concentrations. The data raises questions about whether the centrally-sponsored scheme adequately supports regional language education and mother tongue learning for students across India's diverse linguistic landscape.