The Supreme Court has rapped the Tamil Nadu government for steadfastly opposing the Centre’s Navodaya Vidyalayas and directed it to identify land to establish these in each district following its December 2025 directive. “People in Chennai should not alienate Delhi and, vice versa,” the Bench observed at one point.
The bench asked the state government to change its mindset over the issue. “There has to be cooperative federalism,” a Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih observed while hearing the state government’s plea challenging the Madras High Court’s September 2017 directive to facilitate the establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district.
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“Tomorrow, if the central government comes up with any policy in the Concurrent List, and if each of the states start saying that ‘I don’t accept your policy’, then what will happen to our federal structure?” the judges observed.
Court refuses to recall order
The Tamil Nadu government has opposed the setting up of Navodaya Vidyalayas over concerns with regard to the three-language policy curriculum followed by the schools. For over five decades, successive DMK and AIADMK governments have opposed the introduction of these schools, and the TVK has followed suit.
In its order last December, the top court had directed the state to identify the requisite land within six weeks. As the TVK government took charge in the meantime, the top court had sought its stand on the issue in July. “We are not recalling that order,” the Bench observed on Thursday (September 17), responding to the application filed by the state.
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Noting the change in the state government, the Court granted it three months to comply with the direction. It also asked the representatives of the state and the Centre to have further discussion with regard to the establishment of the schools.
Everybody must work together: Court
During the hearing, the Bench told the state’s counsel, “Your mindset must first change. If you say ‘I don’t want Navodaya Schools because I don’t want Hindi to be taught on the soil of Tamil Nadu…”. The counsel argued that the state was not at all opposing the study of Hindi in Tamil Nadu. “There are a substantive number of schools (in Tamil Nadu) where Hindi is taught,” he said.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, said the state only has to provide land and everything else 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.
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The bench asked both the sides to have dialogue and work out the issue. “People in Chennai should not alienate Delhi and vice versa Delhi should not…,” the Bench observed, stressing that everybody must work together.
Schools not going to lower your standards: SC
“We are not alienating you or alienating them. Some more types of schools come up in your state which will only enhance your high standards which we are aware of. This is not going to lower your standards,” the Bench said and posted the matter for hearing on December 14.
The high court had held that the state’s refusal to permit Navodaya Vidyalaya curtailed students’ right to choose educational institutions and was inconsistent with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009.
The top court had stayed the high court’s directions on December 11, 2017 after the state challenged the decision. But on December 15 last year, the top court modified the interim order of stay and directed the state to identify the requisite land.
(With agency inputs)