Setback To DMK Government: SC Denies Urgent Hearing On Samagra Shiksha Funds Row With Centre

The Supreme Court on Monday denied Tamil Nadu’s plea for an urgent hearing in its case against the Union government over the alleged withholding of Rs 2,151.59 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS).

As per a report by Hindustan Times, the state has accused the Centre of using the funds to pressure implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

In a short exchange before the vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan, senior advocate P Wilson said the Centre’s delay was harming the constitutional right to education of nearly 48 lakh students.

The bench was however not convinced of the need for an urgent hearing and declined the request.

The case was brought up during the Supreme Court’s summer recess, when only urgent or pre-approved matters are considered.

Regular hearings will resume on 14 July.

The state filed the suit under Article 131 of the Constitution, claiming the Centre’s refusal to release funds without implementing NEP 2020 and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme is “unconstitutional and coercive.”

Tamil Nadu maintains that education is a concurrent subject and that SSS funds should not be linked to NEP compliance.

The DMK government has consistently opposed NEP 2020, especially its three-language policy, citing risks to Tamil linguistic identity.

Although the urgent hearing was refused, the main case is still pending.

The matter reflects continuing friction between the state and the Centre, and comes after a recent Apex court ruling that mandated time limits for Governors to act on Bills, that was spurred by a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government.