CHENNAI: The fresh allocation approved for Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha scheme by the Union Ministry of Education’s Project Approval Board (PAB) has declined to Rs 2,469.4 crore for 2026-27, the second consecutive year of decline in new allocations.
The latest allocation comes even as the state continues to await the release of nearly Rs 3,440 crore of the centre’s committed share for the previous two financial years, as the two governments fight over the implementation of PM SHRI schools scheme and the National Education Policy (NEP) including three-language policy.
The fresh allocation is Rs 264.2 crore lower than the Rs 2,733.6 crore approved for 2025-26 and Rs 1,116.6 crore less than the Rs 3,586 crore approved for 2024-25. It is to be noted that overall fresh allocation for 2024-25 was 4,150 crore while the approved allocation was Rs 3,585 crore.
According to sources in the Samagra Shiksha department, the centre fixes an annual ceiling for each state while preparing the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B), limiting the amount for which proposals can be submitted. “The centre earmarks a certain percentage of the total Samagra Shiksha budget for Tamil Nadu.
To fully implement all the interventions under the scheme, we would require more than Rs 5,000 crore. However, every year we have to restrict our proposals to the ceiling prescribed by the centre, and that ceiling has been declining,” an official said.
The official added that the centre does not disclose the methodology or percentage used to arrive at Tamil Nadu’s ceiling.While the fresh allocation has declined, the overall approved outlay has remained almost unchanged because a major share of the fund has been earmarked for completing projects sanctioned in previous years.
The PAB approved a total outlay of Rs 3,041.8 crore for 2026-27, including Rs 2,469.4 crore for new activities and Rs 572.5 crore for pending works. In comparison, the 2025-26 PAB had approved an outlay of Rs 3,044.5 crore, including Rs 310.9 crore for pending works. The allocation for such pending projects has increased by Rs 261.5 crore this year.
Of the total outlay, the centre’s share is Rs 1,825.1 crore, while the state government is expected to contribute Rs 1,216.7 crore under the scheme’s 60:40 funding pattern.
For 2024-25, PAB had approved Rs 3,586 crore, including a central share of Rs 2,151.6 crore. However, only Rs 362.8 crore has been released towards reimbursement under the Right to Education (RTE) Act following a Madras HC order.
Similarly, against the centre’s committed share of Rs 1,826.7 crore for 2025-26, only Rs 175.6 crore has been released so far towards RTE reimbursements. This leaves nearly Rs 3,440 crore of the centre’s committed share for the last two financial years pending.
The centre has withheld the bulk of the Samagra Shiksha funds, citing Tamil Nadu’s refusal to sign the MoU for implementing the PM SHRI schools scheme, which requires adoption of NEP.
While the new TVK government has reiterated that it will continue with the state’s two-language policy, School Education Minister A Rajmohan had previously mentioned that he would even visit Delhi to get the funds without compromising on the state’s policies.