SC URGES TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT AND CENTRE TO DISCUSS SETTING UP JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYAS IN THE STATE:

The Supreme Court on Monday orally urged the Union Government and the Tamil Nadu Government to hold consultations regarding the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in the State. The matter was heard by a bench comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice KV Viswanathan, which considered an appeal filed by Tamil Nadu in 2017 challenging a Madras High Court judgment directing the State to establish a JNV in every district. The Supreme Court had granted an interim stay on the High Court order on December 11, 2017, and the case had not been substantively heard since then.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court suggested that both the State and the Union Government explore a resolution through dialogue, emphasizing that the issue should not be treated in an adversarial manner. The Court allowed a period of two weeks for the authorities to carry out consultations and posted the matter for further consideration on December 15, 2025.

Advocate G Priyadharshni, representing Kumari Maha Sabha, the NGO whose PIL led to the High Court’s 2017 directions, highlighted the strong academic record of JNVs across India. She noted that in 2017 alone, 14,183 JNV students appeared for NEET examinations, with 11,875 successfully qualifying. Over the past decade, she added, JNV students have consistently achieved pass percentages of 98–99% in Class X and 96–98% in Class XII. The NGO argued that Tamil Nadu is the only State without JNVs and contended that the State cannot discriminate against its students when other Central schools, such as Kendriya Vidyalayas, have been operating in the State for decades.

The Supreme Court asked the State and Union Governments to obtain instructions from their respective authorities and consider the possibility of a mutually agreeable solution. The Court reiterated the need for a cooperative approach, rather than a confrontational stance, in resolving the matter.

The appeal filed by Tamil Nadu challenges the High Court’s September 11, 2017, judgment, which had held that JNVs would not violate the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006. The High Court had directed the State to provide temporary accommodation for 240 students in each district within two months. It found that the State’s blanket refusal to permit JNVs curtailed students’ rights to choose their educational institutions and conflicted with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. In its Special Leave Petition, Tamil Nadu argued that education policy falls within its exclusive domain and that it follows a two-language formula namely Tamil and English, under the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act. The State contended that JNVs, which follow a three-language formula including Hindi, are inconsistent with its statutory framework and policy.

The High Court, however, had noted that JNVs in Tamil-speaking regions use Tamil as the medium of instruction up to Class VIII, offer Tamil as the first language in Classes IX and X, and make it available as an optional subject in Classes XI and XII. The High Court held that JNVs do not conflict with the State’s language policy and found the refusal to establish them irrational and harmful to rural students. It also observed that the Central Government bears the entire financial responsibility for JNVs, with the State required only to provide land for the schools. The Supreme Court’s direction to the authorities to engage in dialogue reflects its preference for a collaborative resolution while ensuring the educational interests of students in Tamil Nadu are safeguarded.