Stopping funds to states for not adopting PM SHRI not justified: House panel

The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Education Ministry informed the panel that PM-SHRI is a model school scheme developed under NEP 2020, and the SSA is a scheme meant to achieve NEP goals.

This appears to be the reasoning behind the decision to halt SSA grants to states that have not signed the PM-SHRI MoU, the report by the committee on the department’s Demand for Grants 2025-26 said.

“However, the Committee takes the view that this reasoning is not factual or justified. The SSA predates PM SHRI and is intended to help States to achieve the targets of the Right to Education Act. The RTE is a law duly passed by Parliament and confers education as a fundamental right onto every child. The SSA, as a scheme that enforces the fundamental right-based RTE, cannot be bypassed by the NEP, which was an executive policy statement,” the report added.

This comes amid a war of words between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over release of Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. In his letter to PM Narendra Modi last month, CM M K Stalin had expressed deep concern over the Centre’s insistence on linking the funds to the implementation of the NEP and reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to its two-language policy.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — all ruled by Opposition parties — have demonstrated “strong educational outcomes” with their gross enrollment ratio being above the national average, the report said, adding that underfunding and delays in the transfer of SSA funds have “constrained further advancements in their school infrastructure, teacher training and student support.”

The report said that states have been compelled to use their own funds to pay salaries to teachers and resource personnel due to delays in fund release from the Centre, and withholding of these funds is “severely impacting teachers’ salaries, RTE reimbursements and transportation for students in remote areas”.

It recommended that the Department resolve these issues “amicably” and release the pending funds “on priority basis.” The Department should also re-evaluate SSA allocations to ensure that states are “not placed in disadvantageous positions for not accepting NEP 2020 or PM-SHRI scheme”, it added.

The committee also recommended extending both the RTE Act and the PM-POSHAN (midday meal) scheme to students up to the age of 18. The RTE Act provides for free and compulsory education for children up to Class 8. Midday meals in government schools are provided to students up to Class 8.

The report says that PM-POSHAN coverage should be extended to students up to class 12, “with a focus on preventing adolescent dropouts and addressing gender disparities in nutrition.” It added that a national breakfast programme should be introduced to “combat morning hunger and enhance cognitive performance, particularly in rural and economically weaker sections.”

Out of the 2024-25 budget estimate of Rs 57,427.39 crore and a revised estimate of Rs 52,480 crore for centrally-sponsored schemes like SSA, PM-POSHAN, PM-SHRI and others, the Department has spent Rs 29,241.67 crore until February 2025, which is 50.9% of the BE and 55.7% of RE, the panel said, pointing to “poor fiscal management and under utilisation of allocated funds” under flagship schemes.