Tamil Nadu Sues Centre, Alleges Funds Blocked Over 3-Language Formula Row

In yet another flashpoint in the language tussle between the Centre and Tamil Nadu, the MK Stalin government has approached the Supreme Court, accusing the Narendra Modi dispensation of blocking funds worth Rs 2,151 crore because the southern state did not implement the National Education Policy.

The DMK government has opposed the National Education Policy, which recommends a three-language formula under which students learn a third language besides English and a regional language. The Tamil Nadu government has alleged that the three-language formula attempts to push Hindi in the southern states and has batted for a two-language policy. The Centre has rejected these allegations and said the three-language formula aims to revive Indian languages.

Tamil Nadu has now said in its petition to the top court that the Centre has not contributed its share of Rs 2,151 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, an integrated scheme for school education from pre-school to Class XII. According to the Ministry of Education, the scheme provides support for the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and is aligned with recommendations of the National Education Policy.

The state government has said the Centre's project approval board met on February 16 last year and was satisfied with Tamil Nadu's compliance with the scheme's requirements. The board then allocated funds worth Rs 3585.99 crore for expenditure under the scheme. As per the 60:40 ratio, the Centre's share amounted to Rs 2,151 crore and was payable to the state government starting April 1 last year.

The Centre, the Tamil Nadu government has said, has not disbursed any instalment of this amount.

"The glaring reason for such non-disbursement is that the Defendant has linked the release of Samagra Shiksha Scheme funds with the implementation of 'National Education Policy' and 'NEP exemplary PM SHRI Schools' Scheme despite the fact that these policy/scheme which are separate schemes," the state government has said.

The DMK government has said the reason behind the Centre blocking the funds is the state government's opposition to the three-language formula. It has said the withholding of funds is aimed at forcing the state government to implement the National Education Policy.  

"The Defendant by withholding the Plaintiff's entitlement to receive funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme is an ignorance of the doctrine of co-operative federalism, usurpation of the Constitutional power of the Plaintiff State to legislate under Entry 25, List III and seeks to coerce and force the Plaintiff State to implement the NEP-2020 throughout the State in its entirety and to deviate from the education regime followed in the Plaintiff State," the state government has said in its suit.

The fresh court move comes a month after the Tamil Nadu government's big win in the Supreme Court in its face-off with Governor RN Ravi. The top court then ruled that Governor RN Ravi's decision to withhold assent to 10 Bills cleared by the Tamil Nadu Assembly was "illegal" and "arbitrary".