CHENNAI: Renowned scientist Mylswamy Annadurai has been appointed chairman of the curriculum design committee, replacing State Planning Commission member Sultan Ahmed Ismail, who stepped down from the position two weeks ago.Annadurai, an ISRO scientist, served as the project director of Chandrayaan-1 and was also associated with Chandrayaan-2 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).The School Education Department has also inducted Right to Education activist Anantajit Makia into the committee, taking the total number of members to 17. The committee will work on developing the curriculum and syllabus for the state board in line with the State Education Policy launched in August 2025, according to an official release.The committee currently has 14 members, including Madras University physicist and registrar Rita John, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research scientist T V Venkateswaran, and historian K Rajan. The director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will serve as the member-secretary, while directors of school education, elementary education, government examinations and private schools will be ex-officio members.In November 2025, the state government had constituted two committees to draft the syllabus — the curriculum design committee and the high-level committee. The curriculum design committee has been tasked with suggesting changes to the syllabus, teaching methods and evaluation systems, while also studying gaps between teaching and learning and seeking inputs from teachers, students, parents and education experts.Anantajit Makia, the latest addition to the committee, is a TVK spokesperson who frequently comments on education-related issues.A School Education Department official said Makia’s role would be limited to providing inputs, while the responsibility of curriculum development would rest with Annadurai and subject experts.
