Navodaya schools case: Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to drop anti-Hindi ‘mindset’; State says language is a fundamental right

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) said Tamil Nadu has to change the “mindset” that Hindi cannot be taught on the soil of the State, cautioning that “individual States cannot act like individual countries”.

The oral observations from Justice B.V. Nagarathna came in a nearly hour-long hearing on the adoption of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme in Tamil Nadu.

The apex court gave Tamil Nadu three months to comply with a December 15, 2025, order to identify requisite land for Navodaya schools in each district . It said the direction would be subject to final orders passed later on. In the interregnum, the State and Central representatives were asked to discuss the policy of establishing Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu.

“Chennai should not alienate Delhi, and vice versa, too,” Justice Nagarathna, heading a Bench comprising Justice A.G. Masih, addressed both governments.