Supreme Court Dismisses Plea for Mandating NEP Implementation in States

Court Declines to Direct States on Three-Language Formula​

New Delhi, May 11 — The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking to compel the governments of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly its three-language formula.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan ruled that the apex court does not have the authority under Article 32 of the Constitution to mandate state governments to adopt a specific policy.

"The Supreme Court, through Article 32, can issue directives to protect the fundamental rights of citizens. It cannot directly compel a state to adopt a policy like the National Education Policy, 2020," the bench observed in its order passed on Friday.

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The court clarified that while it may intervene if a state's action or inaction regarding NEP infringes upon fundamental or legal rights, this particular case did not warrant such an examination.

Petitioner Lacked Direct Standing in the Matter​

The bench further noted that the petitioner, advocate GS Mani, lacked a direct connection to the issue.

"Although he may be from the state of Tamil Nadu, yet, on his own admission, he is now residing in New Delhi. The main issue may be examined by this court in an appropriate proceeding but at least not in this particular petition," the court stated.

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The court concluded that the petition did not merit consideration under Article 32, thereby rejecting the plea without a detailed hearing on the core issue.

Advocate GS Mani had filed the plea seeking implementation of the NEP 2020, aiming to enforce its provisions across the three states. However, the Supreme Court maintained that such a policy decision falls within the domain of state governments.