The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to compel Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal to implement the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly its three-language formula.
The PIL was filed by advocate and BJP member GS Mani, who argued that these three states’ refusal to adopt the NEP or sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre undermines educational reforms and potentially violates children’s constitutional right to education.
Mani pointed out that while most Indian states have adopted the NEP and integrated its tri-language model, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal remain holdouts. He contended this non-compliance obstructs a uniform national approach to education and linguistic inclusivity.
“The state government is under a constitutional or legal obligation to implement the NEP 2020 and enter into an MoU for its execution,” the petition stated, as reported by ANI.
The plea also claimed that by rejecting the three-language policy, these states are indirectly denying students the right to free and equitable education—a fundamental right under the Constitution.
Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court opted not to intervene, choosing instead to dismiss the petition without issuing any directive to the state governments.
The Court’s decision underscores the autonomy of states in educational matters and signals judicial restraint in what remains a politically sensitive debate.
