HC asks why can’t Tamil be taught up to Class X in JNVs

Passes direction to Centre on PIL for establishing the schools in all districts

MADURAI

The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday directed a Central Government Standing Counsel to obtain instructions by August 29 from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti on the possibility of teaching Tamil in Classes IX and X too in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) where the medium of instruction could be the regional language till Class VIII as per existing rules.

A Division Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and G.R. Swaminathan issued the direction after Additional Advocate General B. Pugalendhi said the State Government would have no objection to establishment of the JNVs in the State if those schools could teach Tamil right from Class I to X. The judges also took note of the fact that the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006, makes Tamil a compulsory subject in all kinds of schools in the State.

The direction was issued on a public interest litigation petition filed by Kumari Maha Sabha, a private organisation represented by its secretary Jeyakumar Thomas, for establishing such schools in all districts. The petitioner association had claimed that though the Centre was willing to establish the JNVs across the country, the State Government was unwilling to allot 30 acres of land free of cost to Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

In its affidavit, association said: “The Navodaya Vidyalaya system is a unique experiment and is unparalleled in the annals of school education in the country. Its significance lies in providing the best residential school system irrespective of a child’s economic condition. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas exist all over the country but for Tamil Nadu, where anti-Hindi movements were widespread during the past.”

The petitioner’s counsel, S.M. Anantha Murugan, said the JNVs followed the three-language formula of teaching the regional language, English and Hindi. He also told the court that the Centre might not have any issues in establishing such schools if the State Government was willing to offer necessary infrastructure, including suitable land free of cost in every district.