Supreme Court Questions Tamil Nadu’s Resistance to Establishment of Navodaya Schools

The Supreme Court strongly questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s continued resistance to establishing Navodaya Vidyalayas in the State. Emphasising cooperative federalism, the Court remarked that participation in national education schemes cannot be selectively rejected without cogent justification. The Bench highlighted that Navodaya schools aim to provide quality education to rural and economically weaker students and refusal to implement such schemes could adversely affect children’s rights. The observations underline constitutional principles of equality, federal cooperation, and the State’s obligation to ensure access to education.