Chennai, Dec 3 : The Tamil Nadu BJP has appealed to Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to immediately initiate steps for the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) and PM-SHRI Schools in the state, following the Supreme Court's directive on December 1.

In a detailed representation submitted to the Chief Minister, party spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad said the state now has a crucial 15-day window to end what he described as a 38-year-long denial of equal educational opportunities to rural children.

Prasad noted that a Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Viswanathan had instructed the Union and State governments to hold meaningful consultations and present a compliance report by December 15.

"The Supreme Court has removed every procedural hurdle. It is now up to the Tamil Nadu government to secure the rights of 1.2 crore rural children," he said.

The letter highlights the constitutional basis for establishing JNVs, pointing out that education falls under the Concurrent List and that the Union government bears the full financial responsibility for setting up and running these schools.

The State's role is limited to providing 10â??15 acres of land, basic roads, and electricity - obligations that every other state has fulfilled.

JNVs, currently numbering 662 across India, are known for exceptional academic results, including consistent 100 per cent CBSE pass percentages and strong performances in national-level competitive exams.

With nearly 90 per cent of seats reserved for rural students and mandated quotas for Scheduled Communities and girl students, the BJP argues that JNVs represent one of the most effective instruments of social justice.

Addressing concerns that JNVs could lead to the imposition of Hindi, the representation cites Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti guidelines that ensure regional languages, including Tamil, serve as the medium of instruction in lower classes, with Tamil offered as a mandatory or optional language through higher classes.

The BJP also pointed out that neighbouring states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana run dozens of JNVs without linguistic issues. The appeal also urges the inclusion of at least 500 government schools in the first phase of the PM-SHRI scheme, which upgrades existing State-board schools using a 60:40 Centreâ??State funding model without altering the Tamil Nadu syllabus or Tamil-medium instruction.

Calling this a "historic opportunity", the BJP requested the Chief Minister to form a high-level committee, identify land in ten backward districts for the first phase of JNVs, notify schools for the PM-SHRI scheme, and file an Action Taken Report before the Supreme Court by December 15.

Prasad concluded that Tamil Nadu must "choose constitutional duty and the future of its children above all else".

/IANS