Rather than Navodaya schools, cooperate in running existing model schools, TN tells Centre in SC

Tamil Nadu urges the Centre to support existing model schools instead of implementing the Navodaya scheme, citing incompatibility with state policies.

The Tamil Nadu government has submitted in the Supreme Court that the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme is “fundamentally incompatible” with the two-language policy followed by the State.

The State, represented by senior advocate P. Wilson and advocate Sabarish Subramanium, in an affidavit said the three-language formula navodaya scheme would necessarily require deviation from the mandate of the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006.

“Such deviation would be impermissible in law and contrary to the settled legislative framework of the State,” the affidavit said.

The three-language formula is considered as a core pedagogical and administrative framework of the scheme. It required compulsory instruction in Hindi, English, and the mother tongue/regional language.

Tamil Nadu government has maintained that the imposition of the scheme was a “backdoor” ploy to make Hindi compulsory.

The State said the stated objectives of the navodaya were already well-established in Tamil Nadu, which included providing quality residential education to meritorious students from rural and economically weaker sections.