Supreme Court advises Tamil Nadu to reconsider stance on Hindi

The Supreme Court of India has advised the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its stance regarding the Hindi language. A bench comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Augustine George Masih observed that it is not feasible for Hindi not to be taught within the state of Tamil Nadu.

The court questioned the mindset of isolating Chennai from Delhi, emphasizing that different parts of the country must maintain dialogue and connection. The bench noted that people in Chennai should not be isolated from those in Delhi, nor vice versa, and that creating distance based on language is inappropriate.

This legal observation arose during a hearing regarding a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging a Madras High Court decision. The High Court had ordered the establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district. The state government argues that these central residential schools, which follow a three-language formula including Hindi, do not align with the state’s specific education and language policies.