Published Jul 07, 2026 | 5:48 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 07, 2026 | 5:48 PM
Minister S Keerthana interacts with a student. (X)
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana has landed in controversy after a video of her questioning a government school student’s English skills during a visit to a school in Virudhunagar district went viral. Opposition leaders and educators said the interaction could hurt students’ confidence and questioned why she was testing students in the first place. Keerthana defended her actions, saying she studied in a government school herself.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana has found herself at the centre of yet another controversy after a video of her questioning a government school student about her English skills during a visit to SRN Government Higher Secondary School in Thiruthangal, Virudhunagar district, went viral on social media.
The minister visited the school on 2 July to inspect its infrastructure and facilities. During the visit, she entered classrooms and interacted with students.
A video of one such interaction, posted by the minister, shows her asking a student in English, “What does your father do?”
When the student does not respond immediately, the minister points this out to the class teacher and asks him to speak to the student in English.
The teacher then asks the student a series of questions, including her name and her father’s occupation. The student answers the questions confidently.
The video drew criticism from opposition leaders, netizens and educators, who took exception to the minister’s conduct.
They pointed out that the remarks could affect the student’s confidence and questioned why the minister felt the need to share the exchange publicly.
Moreover, in the same video, Keerthana asks the teacher, “Why don’t you ask the same questions to the students sitting on the last bench?”
மாண்புமிகு தமிழ்நாடு முதலமைச்சர் அண்ணன் திரு. ச ஜோசப் விஜய் அவர்களின் வழிகாட்டுதலின்படி திருத்தங்கல் SRN பள்ளியில் இன்று ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டேன்.
பள்ளியின் கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகள், மாணவர்களின் கல்விச் சூழல், பாதுகாப்பு அம்சங்கள் மற்றும் அடிப்படை வசதிகள் குறித்து நேரில் ஆய்வு செய்து, பள்ளி… pic.twitter.com/zldZgwIk9J
— Virudhai Magal Keerthana (@Keerthana4VNR) July 2, 2026
The remark triggered further criticism, with some questioning whether the minister was attempting to prove her initial assessment of the student rather than encourage her.
The controversy adds to a growing list of criticisms surrounding Keerthana, who has previously been accused of adopting a confrontational approach while interacting with the media.
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Former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi criticised Keerthana, saying that ministers should motivate students and encourage teachers rather than refer to “last bench” students in a manner that could affect their self-esteem.
“Insisting that only your opinion is correct is not the purpose of an inspection. Nor is it the duty of a minister,” he wrote in a post on X.
“People who speak this way should stay away from schools. Do not plant feelings of inferiority among children.”
Seeman, coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi, alleged that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government was using even children for publicity and political gains.
He questioned why Keerthana, as Industries Minister, had chosen to test school students instead of inspecting the factory where an ammonia leak had recently occurred.
“English is merely a language, not intelligence. Does the minister not understand this basic truth? Can a child be made to feel inadequate simply because they are not fluent in English?” he said in a statement.
He also questioned the assumption that students sitting on the last bench lacked ability and added sarcastically, “If that logic is true, does everyone seated in the last row of the Assembly lack intelligence? Even those sitting in the front rows don’t appear to possess extraordinary wisdom.”
In light of the controversy, Keerthana issued a detailed statement on X, maintaining that she had not mocked the student and noting that she herself had studied in a government school.
“Some people are falsely claiming that I mocked a government school student. The truth is that I myself studied in a government school. I studied through the Tamil medium,” she wrote.
“Those who mock my English today are not mocking just me. They are mocking lakhs of students who studied in government schools and through Tamil medium.”
She said her aim was to create a society where government school and Tamil-medium students could confidently compete on global platforms.
இன்று சிலர், “அரசு பள்ளி மாணவியை கேலி செய்தார்” என்று ஒரு பொய்யான கதையை பரப்புகிறார்கள்.
உண்மை என்ன தெரியுமா?
நானே ஒரு அரசு பள்ளி மாணவி. நானே தமிழ் வழிக் கல்வியில் படித்தவள்.இன்று என் ஆங்கிலத்தை வைத்து என்னை கேலி செய்கிறவர்கள், உண்மையில் என்னை மட்டும் அல்ல… என்னைப் போன்ற… pic.twitter.com/2ZKzH5bgX3
— Virudhai Magal Keerthana (@Keerthana4VNR) July 7, 2026
The minister said she had studied Mathematics, Science and Social Science in Tamil and did not have the opportunity to learn French as a second language or attend an elite private school.
“When I entered the corporate world, I struggled with English. I made mistakes. I learned. I am still learning. I am not ashamed of that,” she said.
“My goal is to create a society where a government school student and a Tamil-medium student can confidently stand on any global platform,” she wrote.
“Criticise me. Question my work. But do not ridicule the confidence of an entire generation.”
The minister also claimed that she had neither recorded nor released the video and that it had been filmed by the media.
“I never asked anyone to record it. News gathering is the media’s responsibility. If you want the truth about the video, ask them,” she said.
She also questioned whether the political leaders criticising her sent their own children to government schools or Tamil-medium schools.
“It is easy for people who do not trust government schools to mock a woman who studied in one. But the fact that I stand where I am today, despite studying in a government school, is my answer,” she said.
But the statement has only drawn more criticism, with some on social media pointing out grammatical errors in her Tamil post.
