Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 18: The Supreme Court on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its opposition to the teaching of Hindi in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and emphasised the need for dialogue between the Centre and the state over the issue.

A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih made the observations while hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea challenging directions to establish Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district of the state.

Justice Nagarathna said the state should change its approach towards Hindi, observing that it could not be the position that Hindi would not be taught in Tamil Nadu. The bench also stressed that people in Chennai should not be alienated from those in Delhi and vice versa.

The court said that adding another educational option would not lower Tamil Nadu’s existing educational standards and called for cooperative federalism between the Centre and the state.

Tamil Nadu has opposed the establishment of Navodaya schools, citing concerns over their three-language policy, which includes Hindi, and the state’s two-language policy. The state has also argued that education policy falls within its domain.

The Supreme Court, however, noted that education is in the Concurrent List and said differences between the Centre and state should be addressed through discussions. The bench also clarified that Navodaya schools would not interfere with Tamil Nadu’s existing educational institutions or its education system.

The court directed Tamil Nadu to comply with its December 15, 2025 order by identifying suitable land for establishing Navodaya schools in each district. The state was granted three months to comply, while representatives of the Centre and state were asked to hold further discussions on the policy.

The Centre told the court that the state’s primary responsibility under the scheme would be to provide land, while the remaining requirements would be taken care of by the Union government.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on December 14.