The Supreme Court on Thursday told the Tamil Nadu government that it needs to “change its mindset” over the teaching of Hindi in the State, while hearing its challenge to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas’ (JNVs) in every district.
A Bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice A.G. Masih made the observations in The State of Tamil Nadu v. Kumari Maha Sabha, a case concerning the State’s opposition to the establishment of Navodaya schools. The State has objected, among other things, to the three-language policy followed by JNVs, contending that it conflicts with Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy.
Remarking that Hindi cannot be excluded from Tamil Nadu, Justice Nagarathna urged the State to adopt a broader mindset. The Bench highlighted the importance of mutual cooperation between Chennai and Delhi, adding that offering an additional educational model would only expand opportunities, not compromise local standards.
The observations came after Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Tamil Nadu, complained of a lack of cooperative federalism. Gupta argued that the Navodaya model, including its language policy, was contrary to the State’s policy and that such matters could not be imposed judicially.
Countering the Central scheme, counsel Jaideep Gupta argued that giving primacy to Hindi runs contrary to Tamil Nadu’s established policy and native language interests. He asserted that such forced language integration deviates from the principles enshrined in the Constitution.
The dispute arose after the Madras High Court directed Tamil Nadu to establish Navodaya Vidyalayas’ in every district, holding that their establishment did not violate the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act and that a blanket refusal curtailed students’ choice of educational institutions.
Tamil Nadu challenged the ruling before the Supreme Court, maintaining that its two-language policy was incompatible with the Navodaya model. In December 2025, the Supreme Court directed the State to identify land required for establishing the schools in each district and subsequently granted it additional time to comply. The State has also sought recall of that direction.
On Thursday, however, the Bench declined to recall the earlier direction and granted the State three more months to comply. It said the Centre and State could meanwhile continue discussions on the policy and implementation of the schools.
Directing the Tamil Nadu government to comply with its earlier order, the Bench clarified that it was only asking the State to identify, not acquire, land for Navodaya schools. Justice Nagarathna urged the State to be more open-minded, warning that such rigidity in rejecting Central policies could spill over into other domains beyond education.
Gupta maintained that cooperative federalism could not operate in only one direction and that Tamil Nadu’s policy choices could not be overridden by a judicial mandate. He also raised concerns over the financial burden of running the schools, alleging that the Centre had outstanding dues under schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Encouraging continued dialogue between both governments, the Bench advised them to report back if any issues persist after discussions, noting that the initiative would expand student opportunities without compromising educational standards.
Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, submitted that Tamil Nadu was required only to provide land for the schools, while the remaining expenses would be borne by the Central Government.
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