Tamil Nadu Government Moves Court Against Centre Over Withheld Education Funds
The Tamil Nadu government has approached the court against the Central Government for withholding ₹2,151.59 crore in educational funds that are due to the state.
In its petition, Tamil Nadu has demanded not just the pending amount but also interest of ₹139.70 crore, bringing the total claim to ₹2,291 crore.
The state argues that the Centre’s delay is unjustified and affects vital educational initiatives, prompting it to seek legal remedy to protect its financial and constitutional rights.
Summary of Tamil Nadu Government’s Petition Filed in the Supreme Court Regarding Withheld Education Funds:
- The Tamil Nadu Government has filed a detailed petition in the Supreme Court against the Central Government for not releasing education funds amounting to ₹2,151.59 crore, along with ₹139.70 crore as interest, totalling ₹2,291 crore.
- The petition highlights that Tamil Nadu has consistently followed the two-language policy and successfully implemented the Samacheer Kalvi (Uniform Education System) since 2010, resulting in significant improvement in education standards.
- Under the 2006 Tamil Nadu law, Tamil is mandatory from Class 1 to Class 10, and therefore, there is no need to implement the Centre’s New Education Policy (NEP) in the state.
- The state argues that the Centre is using funding as a tool to forcefully impose its education policy, which violates the federal structure and infringes on the rights of states guaranteed by the Constitution.
- Due to the Centre’s withholding of funds, 43.94 lakh students, 2.21 lakh teachers, and 32,701 support staff have been severely impacted.
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to the Prime Minister in February, raising this concern.
- In its petition, the state has clearly demanded that the Supreme Court direct the Central Government to release the full amount of ₹2,291 crore to uphold constitutional rights and state autonomy.
