Petitions challenging Tamil Learning Act rejected

Law makes Tamil as compulsory subject from Standards I to X

Bench declines to interfere with High Court verdict

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The Supreme Court on Monday rejected petitions challenging a legislation passed by the Tamil Nadu government making Tamil a compulsory subject from Standards I to X in all schools in the State from academic year 2006-2007.

A Bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice J.M. Panchal dismissed, at the admission stage, special leave petitions filed by the Kanyakumari District Malayala Samajam and the Yogakshema Sabha, Kanyakumari, against a Madras High Court judgment upholding the constitutional validity of the law.

Justice Pasayat cited an earlier apex court judgment, which had said that resistance to learn local language would not be in the interest of the country’s unity. Learning the local language would be in the interest of the child.

The petitioners challenged Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act 2006 gazetted on June 12, 2006. While making compulsory Tamil as the first language and English, the second language, it made study of any other language by students who had neither Tamil nor English as their mother tongue optional.

Under the law, Tamil was made compulsory for students of Standard I from academic year 2006-07. They must learn Tamil as compulsory language in the subsequent years and continue to do so till Standard X.