Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal received no funds from the central government's Rs 37,000 crore Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme last year, while Uttar Pradesh was allocated Rs 4,487 crore. This disparity was revealed by official government data presented in the Rajya Sabha, raising concerns over potential political bias in the distribution of education funds.
Dr. John Brittas, a Member of Parliament from Kerala in the Rajya Sabha, shared the data on X.
The allocation of funds to Uttar Pradesh—ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—has drawn particular attention, as it contrasts with the funding situation in states governed by non-BJP parties.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, led by Opposition parties, received no financial support under SSA, despite their contributions to improving educational standards.
The ministry, in a written reply, said: “Under Samagra Sikshaha, funds are released to the States/UT based on the pace of expenditure, receipt of commensurate state share, audited accounts, statement on outstanding advances, up-to date expenditure statement, audited utilisation certificate of previous year and furnishing of requisite information.”
Earlier, a Parliamentary committee condemned the Centre's decision to block Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds to states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal for not signing the PM SHRI schools scheme MoU.
The committee called for the immediate release of the pending grants, warning that withholding funds undermines the educational progress of these states.
The dispute comes amid tensions between the Centre and Tamil Nadu, which lost over Rs 2,100 crore after rejecting the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly its controversial three-language formula.
The committee, led by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, stressed that the SSA, which predates PM SHRI, is essential for meeting the goals of the Right to Education (RTE) Act and should not be tied to NEP or PM SHRI compliance.
The report highlighted the amounts of SSA funds remaining unpaid: Rs 1,000 crore to West Bengal, Rs 859 crore to Kerala, and Rs 2,152 crore to Tamil Nadu.
The committee noted that delays in funding have forced these states to use their own resources to cover teacher salaries and maintain infrastructure.
The committee recommended the ministry of education to release the pending funds and adopt a fair, needs-based approach to SSA allocations, ensuring that no state is penalised for its position on NEP or PM SHRI.
The SSA is a flagship program aimed at improving the quality of education from preschool to Class 12, covering everything from infrastructure development to teacher training.
With inputs from agencies
