Centre Ties Tamil Nadu's School Funds to NEP; RTE Component Unaffected

The Union government has reiterated that the release of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to Tamil Nadu is linked to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, it assured that the Right to Education (RTE) entitlements component under SSA will be released to the state in due time.

This clarification came in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. The government stated that the implementation of Samagra Shiksha is synonymous with the implementation of NEP. It noted that the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme, launched in September 2022, aims to showcase all components of NEP. However, Tamil Nadu has not signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the scheme and, according to the Centre, is not implementing NEP in its entirety.

The Tamil Nadu government has refused to implement the three-language formula stipulated under NEP and has not signed the MoU for establishing PM-SHRI schools. According to the Project Approval Board under the Union Ministry of Education, Tamil Nadu has been allocated ₹3,041.81 crore for the financial year 2026-27 under Samagra Shiksha, with the Centre's share being ₹1,825 crore and the state's share ₹1,216 crore. This allocation is slightly lower than the ₹3,044.52 crore allocated in 2025-26 and significantly less than the ₹3,586 crore in 2024-25.

Allocations for Samagra Shiksha are made under components of elementary, secondary, and teacher education. Despite these allocations, Tamil Nadu has not received the Centre's full share since 2024. Last year, following a Supreme Court notice, the Union government released ₹538.39 crore under the RTE entitlements component. This year, the Project Approval Board has allocated ₹624.19 crore for the RTE entitlements component, including the Centre's share of ₹374.51 crore, as per the government's reply.