Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in getting dues of Rs 2,152 crore released to the state under the Samagra Shiksha scheme without linking them to the implementation of the 2020 National Education Policy.

He accused the Centre of withholding funds as a tactic to coerce states to adopt centrally-mandated programmes.

In a letter to Modi, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief also emphasised that the state has a two-language policy, which entails teaching students English and Tamil. Political parties in the state have long opposed attempts to impose Hindi as a third language.

Stalin’s letter came in response to recent remarks made by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan suggesting that funds under Samagra Shiksha for Tamil Nadu would not be released until the state implemented the National Education Policy in its entirety and adopted the three-language policy.

The three-language policy refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the local language of a state.

The Samagra Shiksha scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education.

It resulted from the merger of three schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for universal elementary education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan for secondary and higher secondary schools and Teacher Training Education such as the District Institutes of Education and Training.

On Thursday, Stalin said the statements made by Pradhan had “created immense anxiety and unrest in our state”. He added that the link of Samagra Shiksha with the adoption of the National Education Policy and the three-language policy was a “fundamentally unacceptable” approach.

“The Union Government’s usage of fund releases as a pressure tactic to coerce a state into adopting centrally mandated programmes is a blatant violation of cooperative federalism,” he said.

“These concerns were formally communicated in my letter dated 27.08.2024, and a detailed memorandum was personally submitted to you on 27.09.2024,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying in the letter.

However, the funds under Samagra Shiksha for 2024-’25 were not released despite the representations, the chief minister said.

“Due to the non-release of funds under the ongoing scheme, several vital components towards teacher salaries, student welfare programs, inclusive education initiatives, Right to education reimbursements for underprivileged students, and transport for students in remote areas have been jeopardised,” he added.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief also said that Tamil Nadu had always been steadfast in its two-language policy, which was deeply rooted in its educational and social milieu, for several decades.

“The tremendous strides made by our state in the last half century and its trendsetting initiatives can be traced back to our progressive policy making, built on this two-language policy and social justice,” the chief minister said.

Any change in the two-language policy was non-negotiable for the state and its residents, he added.

The National Education Policy 2020 was the first such policy since 1992. The policy proposed changes to the curricular structure for school education, promoted more flexibility in choosing academic streams and emphasised on using the mother tongue as the key medium of instruction in primary school, among other measures.

The policy received criticism from sections of the academic community, including that it encouraged the privatisation of public institutions. It was also criticised for creating numerous “exit” options for students, which opponents said would encourage dropouts.

The policy was also criticised for not being sufficiently inclusive of marginalised communities.