Multilingual education a competitive edge, says former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai as NEP debate intensifies

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai has thrown his weight behind multilingual education, calling it a crucial skill that enhances career mobility and professional opportunities across India.

Highlighting the advantages of the three-language formula introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP), Pai emphasized its role in boosting employability.

"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 wrote on X.

His remarks come amid heated debates over the practicality of multilingual education, with some questioning its relevance in the modern job market. However, industry leaders and education experts continue to defend its long-term benefits.

Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also endorsed the NEP's focus on multilingualism, countering skepticism from social media users.

Responding to an X user who dismissed the three-language policy as a "total waste of time," she stated, "Being multilingual is a talent, which few possess. Making it part of the formal education system is a good way of developing such skills early on in life. I speak six languages, and it’s hugely helpful."

Author and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy added to the discussion, sharing her personal experience. "I have always believed that one can learn multiple languages, and I myself know 7-8 languages. I enjoy learning, and children can benefit greatly from it," she said.

Political battle over language policy

As industry leaders rally behind multilingual education, the political resistance to the NEP’s language policy is intensifying. In a symbolic move signaling its defiance, the Tamil Nadu government on Thursday replaced the Devanagari rupee symbol with a Tamil letter in its official budget logo for 2025-26.

This comes amid the state’s longstanding opposition to the three-language formula. Chief Minister MK Stalin has repeatedly accused the Central government of attempting to impose Hindi through the NEP, calling it a "saffron policy" aimed at promoting the language rather than national development.

With education and language policies becoming a flashpoint between state and central governments, the debate over multilingual education continues to gain momentum — both in classrooms and in political circles.