The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious questions about Tamil Nadu's refusal to offer Hindi as a subject in Jawahar Vidyalaya Schools (JVS) across the state, telling the government it cannot be accepted that Hindi will not be taught in these institutions. A bench comprising justices observed that the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, functioning under the Ministry of Education, should provide Hindi as an optional subject alongside other languages, and expressed astonishment at the state's opposition to the same.
The issue came up before the Court when the Centre sought to enforce Hindi instruction in Navodaya Vidyalayas operating in Tamil Nadu. The state government had consistently maintained that since Hindi is not widely spoken among the local student population, mandating its inclusion as a compulsory or even optional subject would be impractical and against the sentiments of the people.
However, the Court disagreed with this characterization. The judges pointed out that Navodaya Vidyalayas are centrally funded and administered institutions, established to provide quality residential education to students from rural areas across all states. While acknowledging regional language considerations, the Court held that denying Hindi altogether from the curriculum would be inconsistent with the national character of these schools.
Legal sources indicate that the Supreme Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government and the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti to file their respective responses within a specified timeframe. The Court also asked the Union Government to place on record the statutory framework governing language instruction in these schools, including any circulars or guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education.
Tamil Nadu's resistance to Hindi-medium instruction in educational institutions has deep historical roots. Since the mid-20th century, the state has been one of the strongest opponents of what it perceives as imposition of Hindi, advocating instead for the preservation and promotion of Tamil as a classical and constitutional language. Successive state governments have opposed mandatory Hindi teaching in schools, a stance that has occasionally brought them into conflict with central authorities.
Navodaya Vidyalayas, established in 1989, currently have several campuses in Tamil Nadu. These schools follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum, under which Hindi is traditionally offered as one of the language options. Critics of the state's position argue that denying students access to Hindi instruction limits their linguistic versatility and competitive advantage in national-level examinations and opportunities.
The Supreme Court's intervention now places the state government in a difficult position — balancing its longstanding commitment to the Tamil language against the directives expected from a central educational body operating on its soil.
