# Supreme Court tells Tamil Nadu to change mindset on Hindi 2026-09-17T13:52:31+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its opposition to establishing Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state, observing that Hindi cannot be completely excluded from Tamil Nadu. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said the state needed to change its approach and mindset towards Hindi, and urged cooperative federalism. The court refused to recall its earlier order directing the state to identify land for a Navodaya school in every district, and granted a three-month extension for discussions with the Centre. Tamil Nadu has opposed the schools citing the three-language policy that includes Hindi. The state's counsel argued that the policy is optional and runs counter to state education policies, adding that the Centre has not released Rs 5,000 crore in education funds. The court said individual states cannot refuse central policies and must hold dialogue. The matter is next listed for hearing on December 14. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three sources reported the court's remarks substantially from the hearing, with identical quotes and no discernible slant. The coverage is uniform straight reporting of the bench's observations and the state's submissions, without editorialising. The implication is that the court has firmly backed the Centre's position on Navodaya schools, while leaving room for dialogue. The concrete next step is the December 14 hearing, where Tamil Nadu's compliance on land identification and any progress on talks will be assessed. ## Coverage - indiatvnews.com (neutral report) Leads with court's observation, quotes directly, no commentary. - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Straight news agency copy, focuses on court direction and timeline. - newindianexpress.com (neutral report) Detailed reproduction of arguments from both sides, no slant. Tags: Augustine George Masih, B V Nagarathna, Hindi, Navodaya Vidyalayas, Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-court-asks-tamil-nadu-to-change-mindset-on-hindi-in-schools/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-court-asks-tamil-nadu-to-change-mindset-on-hindi-in-schools/#story-in-brief