The Supreme Court of India directed the Tamil Nadu government to identify land for establishing Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas while encouraging dialogue regarding language policy concerns.
Reader brief
Through the Reader lens: The Supreme Court of India has ordered the government of Tamil Nadu to comply with an earlier directive to identify land for the establishment of Navodaya schools. The state government has resisted the implementation of the scheme, citing its two-language policy and the fundamental right of states to determine their own educational policies. During the hearing, the court emphasized the unitary spirit of India's governance structure, while the state argued that education is a concurrent subject and federalism must be respected.
What to watch next
- Compliance by the Tamil Nadu government regarding the identification of land for Navodaya schools
- Future court rulings on the constitutional balance between Central policy and state educational autonomy
- Scheduled court hearing on December 14, 2026
What was said10
Attributed, verbatim. Every quote is checked against the article it came from. One that does not match is not shown.
Jaideep Gupta
4 quotes“we are a federal government. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. Federalism is also part of the Basic Structure”
In the article
…of the Navodaya policy, it would have legislated,” Mr. Gupta countered. Justice Nagarathna replied that “we are ultimately a unitary form of government”. But Mr. Gupta said he begged to differ with the court, saying “ we are a federal government. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. Federalism is also part of the Basic Structure ”. The judge responded that the governance structure in India was unitary in spirit and federal in structure. Mr. Gupta said ‘education’ was a subject in the Concurrent List. It was necessary for the State to accept a…
“we are a federal government. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. Federalism is also part of the Basic Structure”
In the article
…of the Navodaya policy, it would have legislated,” Mr. Gupta countered. Justice Nagarathna replied that “we are ultimately a unitary form of government”. But Mr. Gupta said he begged to differ with the court, saying “ we are a federal government. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. Federalism is also part of the Basic Structure ”. The judge responded that the governance structure in India was unitary in spirit and federal in structure. Mr. Gupta said ‘education’ was a subject in the Concurrent List. It was necessary for the State to accept a…
“There is an adamancy that Hindi must predominate”
In the article
…He also argued that the central scheme was optional and that the court could not issue a mandamus compelling a state to adopt a particular policy. “This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. There is an adamancy that Hindi must predominate ,” Gupta said. The bench, however, maintained that the state could continue with its own educational institutions and policies while allowing another model of school to operate in Tamil Nadu. “Today it is education,…
“It is against the State policy. It supersedes Tamil. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. It is not a Central government school. It is a school run by a society. There is an adamancy that Hindi must predominate.”
In the article
…Advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the court that the state's objection was not to schools or the teaching of Hindi as such, but to the language policy associated with the Navodaya scheme." It is against the State policy. It supersedes Tamil. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. It is not a Central government school. It is a school run by a society. There is an adamancy that Hindi must predominate. "Justice Nagarathna said the language issue could be discussed between the Centre and the state."If you want Tamil as a second language, it is a matter which can be considered," the Judge said, asking the state…
B V Nagarathna
3 quotes“There has to be cooperative federalism”
In the article
…The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu government to comply with its December 2025 direction to identify land for establishing Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district of the state. “ There has to be cooperative federalism ,” a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih observed while hearing the Tamil Nadu government’s plea. “Tomorrow, if the central government comes up with any policy in the Concurrent List and if each…
“individual States cannot act like individual countries”
In the article
…The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) said Tamil Nadu has to change the “mindset” that Hindi cannot be taught on the soil of the State, cautioning that “ individual States cannot act like individual countries ”. The oral observations from Justice B.V. Nagarathna came in a nearly hour-long hearing on the adoption of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme in Tamil Nadu. The apex court gave Tamil Nadu three months to comply with a…
“individual States cannot act like individual countries”
In the article
…The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) said Tamil Nadu has to change the “mindset” that Hindi cannot be taught on the soil of the State, cautioning that “ individual States cannot act like individual countries ”. The oral observations from Justice B.V. Nagarathna came in a nearly hour-long hearing on the adoption of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme in Tamil Nadu. The apex court gave Tamil Nadu three months to comply with a…
K M Nataraj
1 quote“Rest everything will be taken care of by the central government. There will be no burden at all on the state government”
In the article
…are substantive number of schools (in Tamil Nadu) where Hindi is taught,” he said. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, said the requirement of the state is only to provide land. “ Rest everything will be taken care of by the central government. There will be no burden at all on the state government ,” he said, adding that the issue regarding language policy can be worked out. The bench asked both the sides to have dialogue and work out the issue. Court stresses Centre-state dialogue “People in Chennai should not…
Supreme Court
1 quote“You have to change your mindset. It can’t be that Hindi will not be taught on the soil of Tamil Nadu”
In the article
…Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district. The state has resisted the schools, among other reasons, on the ground that their three-language model, including Hindi, conflicts with Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy. “ You have to change your mindset. It can’t be that Hindi will not be taught on the soil of Tamil Nadu ,” observed the bench, as it also sought to dispel the state’s apprehension that accepting the central scheme would amount to surrendering its educational autonomy. “We are saying in addition to all the good things you…
BV Nagarathna
1 quote“You have to change your mindset, it can’t be that Hindi will not be taught in the soil of Tamil Nadu”
In the article
…Tamil Nadu's opposition to the three-language policy followed by Navodaya schools and said the state should not view the establishment of the centrally funded institutions as a threat to its existing education system." You have to change your mindset, it can’t be that Hindi will not be taught in the soil of Tamil Nadu ," Justice Nagarathna observed during the hearing.The bench also said the people in Chennai should not alienate those in Delhi while stressing the need for cooperative federalism."We are saying in addition to all the…
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Sources6
- [1]The Hindu BusinessLineneutralNavodaya schools in Tamil Nadu: Supreme Court stresses cooperative federalism, seeks land identification
- [2]The HinduneutralNavodaya schools case: Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to drop anti-Hindi ‘mindset’; State says language is a fundamental right
- [3]The Hindu — Tamil NaduneutralNavodaya schools case: Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to drop anti-Hindi ‘mindset’; State says language is a fundamental right
- [4]Hindustan Timesneutral‘Hindi can’t be barred from Tamil Nadu’: SC on Navodaya schools, gives state 3 months
- [5]The Times of Indianeutral‘It can’t be that Hindi won’t be taught’: SC to Tamil Nadu over Navodaya schools
- [6]Amar Ujalaneutralतमिलनाडु: नवोदय विद्यालय पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट सख्त, सरकार से कहा- अपना नजरिया बदलें; हिंदी भाषा पर क्या है विवाद?