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10 Jun 2025, 2:51 am

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s vacation bench on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing to a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the centre for allegedly withholding over Rs 2,151 crore in central education funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for 2024-25.

“What is the urgency? There is no urgency in the plea and it can be taken up after the ‘partial working days’ (the new name of summer vacation),” said a two-judge vacation bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan.

Senior advocate P Wilson, who mentioned the matter as the lawyer on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, sought an expedited listing and hearing, to which, the court questioned him, “For how long has this fund not been given? What is the urgency now?”

Wilson requested the top court for an urgent hearing on the ground that the constitutional right to free and compulsory education of nearly 48 lakh students in the state is being adversely impacted due to the withholding of the fund. The court, however, declined urgent hearing.

The top court also took note of the fact that the state government filed the petition in May alleging withholding of central funds for 2024 and this year also. The petition filed by the TN government under Article 131 of the Constitution pleaded to the court to declare that neither the National Education Policy (NEP) nor the PM SHRI Schools Scheme is binding on Tamil Nadu unless a formal agreement is reached.

The TN government also sought a declaration that the centre’s communications dated February 23 and March 7, 2024, which allegedly link fund release to policy implementation, were illegal, void ab initio, and unenforceable against the state. The TN government’s suit challenges the alleged conditional release of funds based on the implementation of the NEP 2020 and the PM SHRI Schools Scheme.