By withholding Tamil Nadu’s central share of Samagra Shiksha funds for rejecting the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), the Union Government is flexing its muscles to coerce States into submission. This move also undermines the intent of the Samagra Shiksha scheme (2018-19), which consolidated the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education programmes. The scheme was designed to ensure equitable access to quality education for all schoolchildren. Since last year, Tamil Nadu has repeatedly flagged the non-disbursal of ₹2,152 crore, warning that the funding shortfall has severely strained its school education infrastructure, affecting nearly 40 lakh students and 32,000 staff members. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has explicitly blamed the State for the impasse, declaring that the funds will be released only if Tamil Nadu implements the NEP in “letter and spirit”. Adding fuel to the fire, he has insisted that the State adopt the three-language formula, mandating Tamil, English, and a regional language in schools. This stance disregards Tamil Nadu’s long-standing opposition to the trilingual system, dating back to 1937, and its firm commitment to a two-language policy of Tamil and English since 1968. Going a step further, Mr. Pradhan has accused Tamil Nadu’s leadership of being divisive and politically motivated. He even suggested that the State needs to “come to terms with the Indian Constitution” and adhere to the “rule of law”, implying, quite unwarrantedly, that the State was not being run in line with the statute.
Unsurprisingly, the response in Tamil Nadu has been swift and sharp, especially on the language issue, which remains non-negotiable for most political parties in the State. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has rightly questioned which constitutional provision mandates the three-language policy and warned that such blatant coercion will not be tolerated. While the NEP claims it does not “impose Hindi”, successive Union Governments have, until now, respected Tamil Nadu’s autonomy over its language policy. Policies governing subjects in the Concurrent List of the Constitution require flexibility and dialogue to ensure successful implementation across diverse regions. A rigid, one-size-fits-all approach risks undermining cooperative federalism and fostering resentment among States, which are equal stakeholders in central schemes. A more pragmatic approach would be to delink Samagra Shiksha and the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme from the NEP and instead tie funding to generic performance indicators. At the same time, Tamil Nadu would do well to finalise and roll out its long-pending State Education Policy as a viable alternative to the NEP, ensuring academic continuity and stability for its students.
Published – February 19, 2025 12:10 am IST
