Underlining the need to strengthen cooperative federalism, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Tamil Nadu government to comply with its order to identify land for establishing Navodaya schools in all districts.A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and A G Masih also asked the Centre and state to resolve differences regarding language policy, funding, etc. through dialogue.Justice Nagarathna said the Navodaya schools would only strengthen the state’s education network and provide more opportunities to students.Also Read | Navodaya to law college: How a programme is powering rural dreams“We are not alienating you and we are not alienating them. Some more type of schools come in your state also which will only enhance the high standard which we are aware of. This is not going to lower your standards. If Navodaya schools were going to lower the standard of education in Tamil Nadu we would have said that irrespective of what you would have said. That is not the case here. It will provide more opportunity,” the judge remarked, adding “people in Chennai should not alienate Delhi and vice versa”.The bench was hearing an appeal by the state government, challenging the September 11, 2017, Madras High Court order asking the state to do the needful to establish the schools in all districts. The HC asked the State to identify an appropriate place and building for establishing the school and thereafter, to allocate suitable land in every district.Hearing the challenge on December 15, 2025, the SC had asked the state to identify the land for the schools. On Thursday, the state sought recall of the order, but the SC gave it three months to comply.Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for the TN government, said the state’s concern was about the language policy of the Navodaya schools. He added that the opposition was not to the teaching of Hindi but the fact that it has to be taught as the predominant language in higher classes.Story continues below this adAlso Read | 7:30 am raids on Tamil Nadu ex-minister in private-school fraud caseJustice Nagarathna, however, pointed out that there are many schools in the state where Hindi is taught and said the state should change its mindset. The judge added that such differences can be sorted out through discussions. “If you want Tamil as a second language, it is a matter which can be considered,” Justice Nagarathna said and asked the state’s Secretary to speak with the Central officials.“Ultimately everybody must work together,” she said.On the state’s submission that the Centre had not released the Rs 5,000 crore promised for education, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, said the state only had to provide land and all the remaining expenses would be borne by the Centre.Also Read | Tamil Nadu’s maternity leave scheme evades the larger question: When will mothering become parenting?Gupta said the High Court could not have issued a mandamus to the state to adopt a Central government policy which is not mandatory but optional.Justice Nagarathna, however, said, “Education is in the Concurrent List. There has to be cooperative federalism. If each state says that I don’t accept your policy, what will happen?”Story continues below this adShe added that the Navodaya and the state’s own schools can co-exist.