The Union government released only ₹141.65 crore to Kerala against the sanctioned amount of ₹343.34 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme in 2023-24, zero funds against the sanctioned amount of ₹428.89 crore in 2024-25, and ₹92.41 crore against the sanctioned amount of ₹452.04 crore in 2025-26.
This was disclosed by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in the Rajya Sabha in response to an unstarred question by DMK MP Rajathi on Wednesday.
The Minister’s reply states that approval of work plan and central assistance under Samagra Shiksha depended on factors such as annual work plan and budget submitted by States or Union Territories, available opening balance with States/UTs at the start of the financial year, infrastructure gaps, student enrolment, fund utilisation pattern in previous years, and spillover works approved in previous years.
However, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan in reply to a question by John Brittas, MP, during the Question Hour said that the Union government was ready to release the entire funds sanctioned for the State during 2025-26 subject to implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).
Mr. Brittas was seeking release of remaining Samagra Shiksha funds sanctioned to Kerala during 2025-26.
PM SHRI
The MP alleged that Samagra Shiksha funds were being denied to Kerala as it had not joined the PM SHRI scheme. He asked Mr. Pradhan whether the Union government was ready to delink the Samagra Shiksha scheme from PM SHRI for release of funds to Kerala. He also questioned why Samagra Shiksha was linked to PM SHRI that was launched only subsequently in 2022.
Mr. Pradhan claimed that almost the entire country was unanimous that NEP, Samagra Shiksha, and PM SHRI had to be implemented.
Kerala, he said, had agreed to sign the PM SHRI MoU, but later it did not implement the scheme owing to internal conflict in the ruling alliance in the State. The Kerala government should sort out the issue and take the money that the State was entitled to, the Union Minister said.
Mr. Pradhan also said that Mr. Brittas mediated between the State and the Union governments. Mr. Brittas created the bridge between the Kerala government and the Union government, Mr. Pradhan said.
Mr. Brittas, however, told the media that he had not mediated for implementing PM SHRI. He said he had accompanied Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty to meet Mr. Pradhan. He had also submitted many petitions seeking release of funds for Kerala to the Minister. But that was part of his duty and responsibility as an MP. “It is the State government’s affair whether it signs up for PM SHRI or not. There is no need to intervene in that.”
He also said that Mr. Pradhan’s remarks were being misinterpreted. The Union Minister only meant that Mr. Brittas and he had met and held discussions a number of times on the issue, the MP said.
Published – December 03, 2025 11:07 pm IST
