The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu government and the Union government to engage in a joint consultation on setting up Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in the state, stressing the importance of cooperative federalism.
A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan said the issue should not be approached in a confrontational manner and urged both sides to move forward through dialogue. Observing that India functions as a federal society, the court said meaningful discussions between the Centre and the state were essential to resolve the matter.
The apex court directed authorities to assess the quantum of land required for establishing JNVs in each district of Tamil Nadu. It also noted that the proposal should be viewed as an opportunity for students rather than an imposition, pointing out that the larger objective was to ensure access to quality education.
During the hearing, the Bench remarked that Tamil Nadu has emerged as a major industrial state in South India and said that cooperation between governments would benefit the state further. The judges advised the state to place its concerns before the Centre in a constructive manner, expressing confidence that the Union government would also respect Tamil Nadu’s policy framework.
The court clarified that its directions were issued keeping in mind the interests of students who are eligible to seek admission to JNVs in the state.
Senior advocate P. Wilson, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, told the court that Navodaya schools follow a three-language formula, which differs from the state’s statutory two-language policy of Tamil and English under the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006. He also pointed out that the establishment of JNVs would require around 30 acres of land per district along with related expenditure.
Justice Nagarathna cautioned against framing the issue as a language dispute, reiterating that cooperative engagement was the way forward in a federal system.
The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government against a Madras High Court order that had directed the state to allow the establishment of JNVs. The High Court had relied on submissions from the Centre and the Navodaya Vidyalaya authorities, which stated that there was no compulsory imposition of Hindi in these schools.