CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu school education department is yet to receive the first instalment 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 of 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 SSA scheme, officials said. Chief Minister M K Stalin had earlier alleged that the withholding of SSA funds is an attempt to ‘paralyse’ the state’s education department.
In January 2024, the project approval board of the union education ministry sanctioned Rs 3,585 crore for SSA for TN 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 has not come yet.
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 Act entitlements and teacher education, among others.
PM SHRI shouldn’t be linked to SSA’s fund release: Official
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 (MoU) with the centre for establishing these schools.
Last year, too, the centre had delayed the release of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (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 Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (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 signing of MoU,” said the official.