The Tamil Nadu School Education Department is yet to receive the first installment of Rs 500 crore from the Union Government under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for the financial year 2024-25 as the tug-of-war between the centre and the state over establishing PM SHRI schools continues.
A total Rs 2,151 crore has been sanctioned for the whole year by the Centre and any delay in the release of the first tranche, which usually reaches the state by June, may affect the various schemes being implemented under the scheme, officials said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier alleged that the withholding of SSA funds is an attempt to ‘paralyse’ the state’s education department.
What does the fund structure look like?
In January 2024, the project approval board of the Union Ministry of Education sanctioned Rs. 3,585 crore for SSA for Tamil Nadu for 2024-25.
This includes Rs 2,151 crore union government component (60%) and Rs 1,434 crore state component (40%). According to officials, the state government has disbursed its share but the fund from the centre is awaited.
What are the funds used for?
SSA funds are used for a range of components, including financial support for teachers, quality enhancement interventions, improving school access and student retention, inclusive education, Right to Education entitlements and teacher education, among others.
The union government has been promoting schools under the name PM SHRI schools to help showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
As the DMK government is opposed to the NEP, the state has not yet signed a memorandum of understanding with the centre for establishing these schools. Last year, too, the centre had delayed the release of SSA funds, stating that the funds would be released once the state government signed an agreement for establishing these PM SHRI schools.
Following the inordinate delay in the release of two installments of funds in 2023-24, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, in a letter in March, communicated the state’s 'willingness' to sign the MoU and noted that a committee led by the school education secretary had been formed for this purpose. He also indicated that the MoU would be signed at the beginning of the academic year 2024-25. After this communication, the third and fourth installments for last year were released.
A senior official from the school education department said the state government’s stand is that the PM SHRI should not be linked to the release of funds under SSA since it is a long-standing scheme that has been in place for decades.
"The Central government is yet to respond to the state's letter regarding the signing of MoU," said the official.
