Tamil Nadu has opposed the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in the state, telling the Supreme Court that the schools’ language framework conflicts with the state’s two-language policy.
The submission came during the hearing of a petition seeking directions to the state government to set up a JNV in every district. The matter was heard by a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan.
In its affidavit, the state said JNVs are governed by a three-language policy that includes Hindi, English and the state language. Since this is contrary to Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy, the state said it cannot permit such schools.
The government also pointed to its existing network of 38 residential model schools, stating they are functioning well and provide quality education accessible to students from all backgrounds.
It further said that 1,340 students from these model schools joined all-India educational institutions in the 2024–25 academic year, and that several students are pursuing studies at international institutions with full government scholarships. The affidavit added that instead of opening additional institutions, the Union government should fulfil its responsibilities, warning that expanding institutions without doing so could create financial strain.
