Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have approved central allocations of ₹ 328.90 crore, ₹ 2,151.60 crore, and ₹ 1,745.80 crore respectively for the current fiscal year, no funds had been released from this central share to these States. Photo: repository.education.gov.in
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have received zero funds from the Centre’s share under the Ministry of Education’s flagship Samagra Shiksha scheme (SSA) for the financial year 2024-25 as of March 27, 2025, according to a reply given by Minister of State for Education Jayant Choudhary in the Rajya Sabha.
The Minister was responding to a question raised by CPI(M) MP John Brittas.
According to the data shared, while Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal have approved central allocations of ₹ 328.90 crore, ₹ 2,151.60 crore, and ₹ 1,745.80 crore respectively for the current fiscal year, no funds had been released from this central share to these States by the specified date.
This lack of disbursement contrasts with the overall figures: out of a total central allocation of ₹ 45,830.21 crore for 36 States and Union Territories under the scheme, ₹ 27,833.50 crore had been released by March 27 to all entities except these three States. Uttar Pradesh received the highest allocation (₹ 6,971.26 crore) and had received ₹ 4,487.46 crore by that date.
The Minister’s reply stated that under the SSA – which funds essential educational components like textbooks, infrastructure upgrades, and teacher salaries – funds are released to States and UTs based on several criteria. These include their pace of expenditure, receipt of the commensurate State share, submission of audited accounts, statements on outstanding advances, up-to-date expenditure statements, and audited utilisation certificates from previous years.
The halt in funding, particularly for Tamil Nadu, occurs amidst a disagreement between the State and the Centre. The Tamil Nadu government has reportedly refused to implement the three-language formula stipulated under the National Education Policy (NEP) and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the establishment of PM-SHRI schools (PM Schools for Rising India).
A Parliamentary Standing Committee report had previously addressed the issue, noting that withholding funds was “severely impacting teachers’ salaries, RTE reimbursements, and transportation for students in remote areas” in affected states.
The committee had observed that withholding funds allocated under the SSA due to non-agreement on MoUs for separate schemes like PM-SHRI was “not justifiable.”
Consequently, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Education immediately release the pending SSA funds to States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal to prevent disruption to salaries, teacher training programmes, and school infrastructure maintenance.
Published – April 04, 2025 01:46 am IST
