See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2916
ANSWERED ON - 18/03/2026
Funds released for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
2916 Smt. Rajathi:
Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:
(a) the total amount of funds approved for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha
Abhiyan for the last five financial years;
(b) whether this withholding is linked specifically to the State's refusal to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for PM-SHRI schools and align with the three-
language formula; and
(c) whether Government has taken note of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
EWCY&S report (March, 2025) which termed the halting of these funds as not
justifiable?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a): The details of funds approved for Tamil Nadu under Samagra Shiksha during
2021-22 to 2025-26 are as follows: -
(In Crore Rupees)
Financial Year 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Total Approved Work Plan 3055.41 3444.71 3535.25 4305.66 3160.71
(Central Share + State
Share)
(b) and (c): The subject ‘Education’ is in List-III (Concurrent List) of the Seventh
Schedule of the Constitution of India. National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020) is
the first education policy of the 21st century and envisions a massive transformation in
the education system. The Ministry of Education, Government of India is committed to
ensuring that every child, in every corner of the country has access to thetransformative benefits of NEP, 2020. Samagra Shiksha was revamped in 2021 to
align with the provisions of NEP, 2020. Thus, implementation of Samagra Shiksha is
implementation of NEP 2020. Similarly, PM SHRI Scheme, launched in September
2022, aims to showcase all the components of NEP 2020 by developing selected
schools as exemplar schools and to provide leadership to other schools in the
neighbourhood. However, the State of Tamil Nadu has not signed the MoU for PM-
SHRI. While most of the States are implementing NEP, 2020, Tamil Nadu is not
implementing it in its entirety.
Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Samagra Shiksha, funds are allocated
to States and Union Territories, including the State of Tamil Nadu, based on the
approval of the respective Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B) by the Project
Approval Board (PAB), and in accordance with the prescribed fund-sharing pattern,
guidelines, and availability of funds. The release of Central share depends on the
submission of the utilisation certificates, audit reports in respect of funds released
earlier, physical and financial progress reports, State contributions and compliance
with the scheme norms.
Though implementation of Samagra Shiksha is implementation of NEP, 2020
and the Government of Tamil Nadu has not agreed to implement NEP, 2020 in its
entirety, keeping in view the larger perspective as well as educational needs of the
children of Tamil Nadu, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) decided
to release admissible Central share of the ‘RTE Entitlements’ component of Samagra
Shiksha. Accordingly, Central share of Rs. 538.39 crore, comprising Rs.362.81 Crore
for FY 2024-25 and Rs.175.58 Crore as 1st and 2nd instalments for FY 2025- 26, has
since been released to the Government of Tamil Nadu under the ‘RTE Entitlements’
component and the release of remaining amount admissible for FY 2025-26 under this
component is subject to fulfilment of standard terms and conditions.
****