‘Hindi can’t be barred from Tamil Nadu’: SC on Navodaya schools, gives state 3 months

The Supreme Court refused to recall its Navodaya school order, giving Tamil Nadu 3 months to identify land in every district.

Tamil Nadu cannot take the position that Hindi will never be taught on its soil, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while refusing to recall its earlier direction requiring the state to identify land in every district for setting up Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and AG Masih, while urging Tamil Nadu and the Centre to resolve their differences over the schools through dialogue, gave the state three months to comply with its December 15, 2025 order and identify suitable land for the proposed schools.

‘Change your mindset’

The exchange came during the hearing of Tamil Nadu’s plea against a Madras High Court direction to establish 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.