The Tamil Nadu government has appointed former ISRO scientist Dr Mylswamy Annadurai as the chairman of a 17-member curriculum design committee that will revamp the State Board school syllabus in line with the State Education Policy introduced in August 2025.
The appointment was announced through a government order issued on June 29. Popularly known as the "Moon Man of India," Dr Annadurai led the Chandrayaan-1 mission as Project Director and also played key roles in Chandrayaan-2 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). His appointment is expected to bring scientific expertise and a future-focused approach to school education.
Committee Composition
The committee brings together experts from diverse fields, including science, physics, history, Tamil studies, arts and education. Among its members are Madras University physicist and Registrar Dr Rita John, IISER scientist Dr T. V. Venkateswaran, and historian Dr K. Rajan.
The Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will serve as the Member-Secretary. At the same time, the Directors of School Education, Elementary Education, Government Examinations, and Private Schools will be ex officio members.
The School Education Department has also inducted Right to Education activist Anantajit Makia into the panel, increasing its strength from 16 to 17 members.
Officials clarified that Makia's role will be limited to providing suggestions, while the responsibility for curriculum development will remain with Dr Annadurai and the subject experts.
Mandate and Objectives
The curriculum design committee has been entrusted with preparing a modern syllabus that reflects the goals of the State Education Policy. It will recommend changes to curriculum content, teaching methods and evaluation systems, while also identifying learning gaps and gathering feedback from teachers, students, parents and education experts.
The committee builds on the groundwork laid in November 2025, when the Tamil Nadu government constituted both the Curriculum Design Committee and a High-Level Committee to redesign the State Board syllabus.
With Dr Annadurai at the helm, the government aims to equip students with future-ready skills, including artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, while strengthening the overall quality of school education in the state.
