- By Shibra Arshad
- Wed, 21 May 2025 02:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu Government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India against the Central government for allegedly blocking the financial assistance over the three-language formula in the New Education Policy (NEP). The state government has accused the centre of blocking the funds worth more than 2000 crore rupees under the Samagira Shiksha Scheme because the southern state did not implement the NEP 2020.
In its petition, the state government has urged the apex to fix a time frame for the recovery of the fund with a future interest of 6 per cent per annum on the principal amount.
Apart from this, the Stalin government has also demanded that the centre’s move to withhold funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, an integrated scheme for school education from pre-school to Class XII, should be declared as ‘unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, and unreasonable’.
The DMK government of Tamil Nadu has opposed the National Education Policy, which recommends a three-language formula. Under this three-language formula, students are supposed to learn a third language apart from English and a regional language. The Tamil Nadu government has advocated for a two-language policy and accused the centre of wanting to impose Hindi on southern states through the three-language formula.
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What Is Samagra Shiksha Scheme
Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the central and state governments fund education from pre-school to class 12 under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The central and state governments contribute aid in the ratio of 60:40. The Tamil Nadu government said that the centre has not disbursed the amount.
The state government, led by CM MK Stalin, has also asked the apex court for a declaration that the National Educational Policy, 2020 and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme are not binding on Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, the SC had dismissed a PIL seeking implementation of the three-language formula, proposed by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal.
"It (court) cannot directly compel a state to adopt a policy like the National Education Policy 2020. The court may, however, intervene if a state's action or inaction related to the National Education Policy violates any fundamental rights. We do not propose to examine this issue in this writ petition. We believe that the petitioner has nothing to do with the cause he proposes to espouse. Although he may be from the state of Tamil Nadu, yet on his own admission, he is residing in New Delhi. In such circumstances, this petition stands dismissed,” the court had said.