The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the Tamil Nadu government needs to change its mindset towards teaching Hindi in schools within the State [The State Of Tamil Nadu Vs. Kumari Maha Sabha].

A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and AG Masih made the remark during the hearing of a case related to the establishment of Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu.

Navodaya schools are centrally funded, co-educational, residential schools run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti under the Union Ministry of Education. Their establishment in Tamil Nadu has been resisted by the State government.

Among other issues, the Tamil Nadu government has raised concerns that these schools follow a three-language policy, including Hindi, which conflicts with the State's two-language policy.

"You have to change your mindset, it can’t be that Hindi will not be taught in the soil of Tamil Nadu," Justice Nagarathna observed today.

The Court also remarked that the people in Chennai should not alienate those sitting in Delhi.

"We are saying in addition to all the good things you’re doing in your State, having something in addition will not bring down your standards. Coming from Delhi, will not lower the standards of Chennai. People in Chennai should not alienate Delhi and vice versa," the Court said.

The Court made the remark after the Tamil Nadu government complained about the lack of cooperative federalism in the country.

The Court was hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea challenging a Madras High Court judgment directing it to set up Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district.

The High Court had ruled that Navodaya Vidyalayas did not violate the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act and that the State’s blanket refusal to set up such schools curtailed students’ right to choose educational institutions. It had directed the State to provide temporary accommodation for 240 students in each district.

Tamil Nadu then approached the Supreme Court, asserting that education policy falls within its exclusive domain and that its two-language policy was incompatible with the Navodaya model.

In December 2025, the Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to identify land required for establishing Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district within six weeks. The State government has filed an application to seek recall of the order.

However, the Court today declined to recall the direction and granted the State three more months to comply with the order.

In the meantime, the Court said that the representatives of the Central and State governments can hold further discussions with regard to the policy for the establishment of the schools.

Justice Nagarathna observed that Navodaya Vidyalayas are not against the State policy and that the States need to have a dialogue with respect to their language policy.

In response, Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, representing the Tamil Nadu government, said,

"It is against the State policy. It supersedes Tamil. This kind of unification is not the purport of the Constitution. It is not a Central government school. It is a school run by a society. There is an adamancy that Hindi must predominate."

However, the Court insisted that the State would have to make available the land to build the schools.

"We can’t say that a Central government policy is left to the State to accept or not," the Bench added.

Gupta said that the policy is optional, and that if the Court gives a mandamus, it would upset 75 years of practice. Justice Nagarathna said the State would have follow the general policy for Navodaya schools.

Gupta responded that the State policy may be better and that the State government would sit with the Centre to discuss its implementation.

"We will have to see whether this cooperative federalism works only one way or both ways," he added.

Justice Nagarathna said that since there has been a change in the State government, the Court expects a change in mindset too.

However, Gupta said that cooperative federalism can never work in only one direction. He added that such matters of policy cannot be enforced by the Court.

However, the Court rejected the argument.

"Comply with our earlier order. We are not asking you to acquire land. We are only asking to identify. We are concerned with the good of everybody. There is a need for dialogue. You can’t say I won’t accept a policy. Today it is education, tomorrow it will be something else. You have to relax this rigidity in your mind," the Court said.

Justice Nagarathna added that the State should treat the Central scheme as its own. Gupta submitted that the expenditure for these schools would ultimately have to be borne by the State.

"The teachers will ultimately look to us for payment. And they will not pay it. Their (Central government’s) track record is abysmal. They have still not paid for Sarva Sikshya Abhiyaan. This is completely political. This is not cooperative federalism at all," he said.

However, the Court maintained that it was only a matter of mindset

"Have a dialogue. If there is any difficulty after the dialogue, you tell us. This is not going to lower your standard of education. It will provide more opportunity," it added.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the Centre, meanwhile said that the State government has to only provide land for the schools and that the rest will be taken care of by Central government.

"Ultimately everybody must work together. That perception that you are surrendering to the Central government should not be there," Justice Nagarathna replied.

The matter will be heard next on December 14.

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