In a significant development, the Madras High Court has urged the Union Government to reconsider its decision to withhold Rs 2,152 crore in educational funds payable to Tamil Nadu, and recommended delinking the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act from the state's adoption of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The court observed that the Centre's obligation under the RTE Act is "independent" and must be honoured irrespective of whether a state government adopts NEP 2020 or not. It also underscored that both the Centre and the states have a concurrent responsibility to ensure the effective implementation of RTE provisions.
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An individual had approached the High Court alleging admission under the Right to Education Act has not commenced yet in private schools because of this issue.
The state government claimed Union Government has not released funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme since 2021 due to what it termed "political animosity" over the state's continued opposition to the NEP. According to the funding pattern, the Centre is mandated to contribute 60%, while the state bears the remaining 40%.
The court refrained from issuing any binding directions as the Tamil Nadu government has already moved the Supreme Court on the matter. However, the bench made critical observations about the financial standoff, stating that the state government too cannot evade its obligation to reimburse private schools that admit children under the RTE Act. "The State cannot wriggle out of its commitments," the court stated, emphasizing that reimbursement to private institutions is not optional but a statutory requirement.
Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed NEP 2020, calling it "regressive" and "against the principles of social justice." The ruling DMK government has also rejected the three-language policy, terming it a backdoor attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states. It has also raised concerns over the NEP's emphasis on multiple public examinations in lower classes (III, V, and VIII), warning that such measures could increase school dropouts among underprivileged children.
Another point of contention is the NEP's push for entrance examinations for undergraduate admissions in arts and science colleges. The Tamil Nadu government argues that such a system would make higher education inaccessible to students from economically weaker sections, reinforcing social inequalities.
The BJP, however, has dismissed these allegations. Defending the NEP, the party asserted that the policy is a "visionary roadmap" intended to transform India into a developed nation by overhauling its education system. The party has clarified that the three-language formula is not meant to impose any language but to provide students with the opportunity to learn an additional Indian language, thereby promoting linguistic diversity.
