Declining federalism

• The Union Government’s withholding of Tamil Nadu’s central share of Samagra Shiksha funds for rejecting the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) undermines the Samagra Shiksha scheme (2018-19), which consolidated Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education programmes.

• The non-disbursal of ₹2,152 crore has severely strained Tamil Nadu’s school education infrastructure, affecting nearly 40 lakh students and 32,000 staff members.

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan blames the State for the impasse, insisting on the State adopting the three-language formula, disregarding Tamil Nadu’s long-standing opposition to the trilingual system.

• The response in Tamil Nadu has been swift, especially on the language issue, which remains non-negotiable for most political parties.

• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin questions the constitutional provision mandating the three-language policy and warns against coercion.

• 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 tie funding to generic performance indicators. • Tamil Nadu should finalize and roll out its State Education Policy as a viable alternative to the NEP