Stalin renews plea to Centre to release Rs 2,100 cr under Samagra Shiksha scheme
Besides TN, non-BJP-ruled states such as Kerala and West Bengal have also faced alleged discrimination over allocation of funds under SSA scheme for 2024-25 fiscal
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has once again urged the Union government to release its share of more than Rs 2,100 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme alleging the Centre has not sanctioned the required funds and it affects the future of lakhs of students.
The state has not received any funds for the 2024-25 fiscal.
Besides Tamil Nadu, non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states such as Kerala and West Bengal have also faced alleged discrimination over the allocation of funds under the SSA scheme for the same financial year.
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Withholding SSA funds
Despite having approved central allocations of Rs 2,151.60 crore, Rs 328.90 crore, and Rs 1,745.80 crore respectively, these states received zero funds from the central government as of March 27, 2025.
In a reply to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Ganapathy Rajkumar P about the Integrated Scheme for School Education, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chowdhury shared the data on the same.
The withholding of SSA funds is linked to the states' refusal to implement the PM Schools for Rising India (SHRI) scheme and the National Education Policy (NEP) and such a discrimination would affect the school education in Tamil Nadu.
Political bias?
The disparity in allocation of funds has raised concerns about potential political bias, with Uttar Pradesh receiving Rs 6,264.79 crore, while Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh received Rs 1,245.54 crore and Rs 1,240.10 crore, respectively.
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In a memorandum handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by state Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Saturday, July 26, Chief Minister Stalin reiterated that it would stick to the two-language formula of Tamil and English.
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu has presented its “contrarian views” to the three-language formula of the NEP 2020.
DMK MP slams Centre
Condemning the Union Government for withholding the funds, DMK MP Jothimani, in an interview with The Federal said the Centre was not releasing the funds for Tamil Nadu in the name of NEP because they wanted to impose Hindi.
“We are not ready to accept that imposition because we are quite successful with two language policy as a state irrespective of party in power. The funds for Maharashtra were not stopped when they decided to have the policy of teaching only Marathi and English, then why is there a bias towards Tamil Nadu?” she asked.
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After the Parliament approved the Budget for the year 2024-2025, the Budget was approved for the SSA scheme. Educationists say that the withholding of funds impacts the Right to Education in the state and is a threat to the parliamentary democracy.
'Both govts have responsibilities'
“SSA also includes the education under RTE Act, 2009. For 6 to 14 years of children, it is the government's obligation and both Union and the State Government have equal responsibilities. If the funds are withheld, the Union Government is denying the Right to Education guaranteed by the Constitution of India,” said Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of State Platform for Common School System,
“Withholding of funds is both the breach of parliament and against the Constitution of India. Whatever may be the reason, the Union Government has no right to withhold funds that is for the children's education. It is the betrayal of the people’s trust.”
He added that people pay tax with firm belief that the Union Government will share the funds with the state.
“When the tax was collected from all the people including the people living in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal, how can the Union refuse to share the money with the respective states?”
A release from the state government on Sunday, July 27, stated that the Tamil Nadu chief minister has urged the prime minister to clear the central share of Rs 2,151.59 crore for the year 2024-25 and the first instalment for 2025-26, without asking the state to agree to sign the PM SHRI agreement.
