The Madras High Court today observed a competent authority has to expeditiously take a decision on exempting minority institutions from the Government Order making Tamil a compulsory subject in their institutions.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, observed that it is appropriate to appoint a retired High Court Judge to take a quick decision as examinations are due in March 2016.
The bench stated this when a batch of petitions, including from 'The Organization of Muslim Educational Institution and Associations of Tamil Nadu' came up before them.
The matter relates to a June 3, 2014 order of the Director of School Education Department to implement Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act 2006, under which Tamil was made compulsory as Part I from standard I to IX in a phased manner.
Challenging this, several writ petitions were filed contending that the right to choose medium of instruction is only with parents on behalf of their children.
The school education department, in is counter, submitted that the Act was upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court.
"The averment of the petitioners is misconceived as the Act is not of introducing the medium and it is only to make Tamil Language as a compulsory subject and not all the other subjects in Tamil."
The bench recorded the submission by Advocate General A L Somayaji ans posted the matter to November 23.
