Dip in Samagra Shiksha Scheme fund earmarked for TN in 2025-26
CHENNAI: The fresh allocation of funds approved for Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme by the Ministry of Education's Project Approval Board (PAB) has dropped by Rs 1,416 crore (34%) from Rs 4,150 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 2,734 crore in 2025-26.
Though the approved allocation last year was Rs 4,150 crore, the committed liability was reduced by the PAB to Rs 3,586 crore. The Rs 2,734 crore allocated for 2025-26 is nearly Rs 850 crore lower than that.
It is, however, noteworthy that the budget proposed to the PAB by the Tamil Nadu government was also lower at Rs 3,104 crore for 2025-26 compared to Rs 4,579 crore proposed in 2024-25, although the state claimed that this was due to 'upper limits' imposed by the GoI.
This allocation of Rs 2,734 crore is the lowest for Tamil Nadu in the last five years under the centrally-sponsored scheme in which the centre shares 60% of the annual expenditure while the state bears 40%.
According to the data furnished by the Union Ministry of Education, while states such as Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and Punjab saw an increase in allocation for 2025-26, states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh saw a decline.
TN spent Rs 980 crore as part of its SS share in '24-25
The reduction has come even as Tamil Nadu continues its fight for the release of the Union government's share of Samagra Shiksha (SS) funds for 2024–25, which have been fully withheld. As per the committed liability of Rs 3,586 crore, the Centre was to release Rs 2,152 crore as its 60% share.
It is in pursuit of this Rs 2,152 crore that the state government has filed a suit in the Supreme Court against the Union government.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
Eyeing trillion $ goal, T sets sights on defence, aerospace, biotech
Hyderabad: The Telangana govt will focus on three high-potential sectors - defence, aerospace, and biotechnology - to achieve its goal of becoming a trillion dollar economy by 2047. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has said at a number of fora that the state would achieve this goal well ahead of the national timelines. Sources in the expert group working with the state govt on numerous projects told TOI that Telangana has so far followed the Karnataka model, which emphasised services as a major driver of growth. Now, the state may follow a model similar to that of Tamil Nadu, where manufacturing is expected to play a crucial role in boosting the economy. This strategic shift comes at a pivotal moment. India has recently become the fourth largest economy in the world, surpassing Japan. "One specific reason for this potential shift is availability of skilled manpower across Telangana, not just in Hyderabad. This creates an ideal situation for sectors like defence, biotechnology, and aerospace," said a senior official. For an added impetus, the state has been requesting the Centre to make Telangana part of the National Semiconductor Mission. "The government is working closely with some experts to strengthen the economy," an official added. Several prominent economists, including Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, have visited the secretariat in recent months in a bid to steer the state towards its goal. However, experts caution that apart from identifying key sectors to boost the economy, there is a need for a strategic shift in the way the govt operates. "Freebies or welfare schemes that simply dole out cash need to be rationalised, and everyone must be encouraged to work. Job creation in the private sector is essential for achieving balance," said Krishna Reddy Chittedi, associate professor at the School of Economics, University of Hyderabad. Telangana's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2024-25 (advanced estimates) at current prices is pegged at Rs 16,12,579 crore, reflecting a growth rate of 10.1%. This surpasses the national GDP growth rate. "At this rate, it would take Telangana more than a decade to reach the trillion dollar mark," Krishna Reddy added. INDUSTRY TAKES LEAD Industries contributed Rs.2,77,270 cr to the state gross state value added (GSVA) in 2024-25, manufacturing (47.60%) & construction (29.07%) being largest contributors State aims for 15% annual growth in MSME registrations Share of jobs in the industrial sector stood at 23%, according to Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2023-24
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Govt plans ordinance to regulate pvt school fee hikes
New Delhi: Delhi govt is likely to introduce an ordinance for Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, aimed at curbing arbitrary fee hikes in private schools. The ordinance could be brought within a week, a senior govt official said. In a state assembly, an ordinance is a law issued when the legislature is not in session. The state legislature can then choose to approve the ordinance, reject it, or modify it. According to sources in Delhi govt, a proposal in this regard has already been sent to the law department. The ordinance would be an interim measure operating for a limited time, before the bill is brought in the monsoon session of Delhi Assembly, the sources said. The draft bill was earlier planned to be passed in a special session of Delhi Assembly scheduled for May 13-14. However, the session did not take place. A Delhi govt official said the draft bill aims to set guidelines for all schools in the city to regulate school fees. It will have strict provisions for schools found increasing fees, such as a Rs 50,000 fine to be imposed by Director of Education in the case of each student. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo The administration will also have the power to seal and sell the school property in case of repeated violations and unpaid fines. There will also be a provision to double the amount of the fine if it is not paid within a fixed timeframe, the sources said. The draft advocates the establishment of a school-level fee regulation committee, a district fee appellate committee, and a revision committee to oversee fee structures and address grievances. According to the draft, every school shall constitute, within two months of the passage of the bill, a school-level fee regulation committee for each academic year. The panel will comprise representatives of the school management, the principal, three teachers and five parents. The observer would be Director of Education of the committee. In the district fee appellate committee, the chairperson will be the deputy Director of Education and the member secretary would be the deputy Director of Education (zonal). It will comprise a chartered accountant, parents and teachers. In the revision committee, there would be an eminent person from the education sector.
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
PM Modi begins 2-day visit to poll-bound Bihar today, roadshow and rally in agenda
From flagging off construction of a new airport and inaugurating a new terminal at an old one, and a six-km roadshow in Patna to a public meeting in Bikramganj, Rohtas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the state starting Thursday has a packed itinerary. This is Modi's third visit to the poll-bound state since February but the first after India's strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack and the escalating tensions on the border earlier this month. The roadshow will be from Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport to the state Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters at Bir Chand Patel Path via Patna's lifeline, Bailey Road, the party said. This comes months before the assembly election in Bihar. 'The prime minister will stop at 32 places to accept people's greetings, especially for India's befitting reply to Pahalgam attack through Operation Sindoor,' BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said, adding the PM had been visiting Bihar to send across the message that 'the country would not bend, and the development of Bihar will not stop'. Before the roadshow, Modi will inaugurate the new Rs 1,200-crore terminal at Patna airport and flag the construction of the new airport at Bihta, a suburb 25 km from the main city. The Rs 459-crore Bihta airport project is a brownfield one – built on an existing airport infrastructure, in this case an existing Indian Air Force base — and is the second airport in Patna. It will be connected to Patna via a 25-km overbridge, also underway. The PM will also visit Bikramganj for a public gathering Friday, where he is expected to speak on Operation Sindoor at rally and unveil several development initiatives worth thousands of crores. Visiting Vikramganj is part of the prime minister's rotational Bihar trip ahead of Bihar Assembly polls, due this October-November. In February, Modi visited Bhagalpur, which was followed by his visit to Darbhanga in April. Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More
