The court directed the state to identify land for Navodaya schools in each district within six weeks.
The Supreme Court on Monday modified an eight-year-old stay order to direct the Tamil Nadu government to identify the land required for setting up Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) in each district.
A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan urged Tamil Nadu, represented by Senior Advocate P. Wilson, to view the Navodaya Vidyalayas scheme as an opportunity rather than a threat to the bilingual formula used in the state.
Mr. Wilson vehemently alleged that the plan was a “back door” by the Center to introduce Hindi in Tamil Nadu. But the court said it was only asking the state to identify the land and not to “lay the foundation stone.”
Justice Nagarathna said that the court is not insisting on Hindi but on the education of poor and rural children.
Mr. Wilson said the enrollment ratio in Tamil Nadu was the highest among the states. Education was encouraged and ensured, he said.
“You (the state) cannot come in the way if they want to study the central syllabus…How can you prepare them,” asked Justice Nagarathna.
Mr Wilson said the Center wanted state resources. He referred to the Center still owing over ₹3,500 crore to Tamil Nadu.
“I (the State) can build my own schools… We have the highest gross enrollment ratio. No other state will ever, ever match ours. They want 30 acres of land allotted in each district. I have to pay the money. I spent ₹ 3,548 crore on the Samagra Shiksha programme. They still owe us… This is no way to treat the state.”
Justice Nagarathna asked whether Tamil Nadu was “part of our Republic”. The court said “we live in a federalist society” in which the state and the Center must engage in dialogue.
Justice Nagarathna said representatives of the Center and the state should engage in consultations on the Navodaya Vidyalaya scheme. The state must use the meeting as an opportunity to air its grievances and even demand payment of dues, if any, under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, she added.
“The petitioner (Tamil Nadu) has the right to vent its grievances with the Centre,” Justice Nagarathna said. The court directed the state to identify land for Navodaya schools in each district within six weeks. The Center and the state must submit a report on their consultations on setting up these schools, she added.
In December 2017, the Supreme Court stayed the Madras High Court order directing the Tamil Nadu government to set up centrally funded Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state.
On 11 September 2017, the Madurai Bench of the Supreme Court ordered the state to provide temporary premises and buildings to accommodate 240 children in each district within two months.
The high court’s order was based on a public interest litigation filed by the Kumari Maha Sabha.
JNVs were not allowed in Tamil Nadu because these schools, which require Hindi as a third language, violate the Tamil Nadu government’s policy of teaching only two languages - English and Tamil – in schools. The state’s policy was enacted under the Tamil Nadu Tamil Act 2006, which made Tamil a compulsory language for school children. The validity of the 2006 law was approved by the Supreme Court.
“It is the prerogative of the state government to pass legislation relating to school education, and it is the prerogative of the state government to set the policy and standards of education in the state. It is trite law that the courts may not interfere with the policy decisions of the state unless they conclude that the policy is so bad that it is necessary to interfere because it violates the constitution,” said the state’s petition in the Supreme Court.
Published – 15 Dec 2025 23:59 IST
