In a fresh flashpoint in the ongoing language and education policy dispute between the Centre and Tamil Nadu, the MK Stalin-led government has knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, accusing the Modi government of holding back ₹2,151 crore in funds. The state claims the Centre’s decision is in retaliation for its refusal to adopt the National Education Policy (NEP).
The DMK government has consistently opposed the NEP, particularly objecting to the proposed three-language formula, which encourages students to learn a third language alongside English and their regional tongue. Tamil Nadu has championed a two-language system instead, asserting that the NEP is a veiled attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states. The Centre, however, denies this, saying the formula is intended to promote and preserve India’s linguistic diversity.
In its petition to the apex court, the Tamil Nadu government alleges that the Centre has not released its ₹2,151 crore share under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme—an umbrella programme aimed at enhancing school education from pre-primary to Class XII. The scheme, which supports the implementation of the Right to Education Act, is aligned with the NEP.
According to the state, the Centre’s project approval board had met on February 16 last year and acknowledged Tamil Nadu’s adherence to the scheme’s provisions. Subsequently, a total budget of ₹3,585.99 crore was sanctioned, with the Centre responsible for 60 percent of the funds, equating to ₹2,151 crore—due from April 1 of the previous year. However, no instalment has reportedly been received to date.
“The glaring reason for such non-disbursement is that the Defendant has linked the release of Samagra Shiksha Scheme funds with the implementation of ‘National Education Policy’ and ‘NEP exemplary PM SHRI Schools’ Scheme despite the fact that these policy/scheme which are separate schemes,” the state government has said.
Tamil Nadu has further argued that the funds are being withheld as a pressure tactic due to its opposition to the NEP and the three-language policy.
“The Defendant by withholding the Plaintiff’s entitlement to receive funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme is an ignorance of the doctrine of co-operative federalism, usurpation of the Constitutional power of the Plaintiff State to legislate under Entry 25, List III and seeks to coerce and force the Plaintiff State to implement the NEP-2020 throughout the State in its entirety and to deviate from the education regime followed in the Plaintiff State,” the suit reads.
This legal escalation follows the Tamil Nadu government’s recent success in the Supreme Court, where the bench declared Governor RN Ravi’s withholding of assent to ten Assembly-approved Bills as “illegal” and “arbitrary.”
