Supreme Court tells Tamil Nadu to change mindset on Hindi

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.