The Supreme Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking the release of over ₹2,291 crore from the Centre under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS).

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan turned down the request to list the matter during partial court sittings, stating that the case did not warrant immediate attention.

Senior Advocate P. Wilson, appearing for Tamil Nadu, argued for early listing, citing the adverse impact on approximately 48 lakh school students in the state. He highlighted that the academic session had already commenced on June 3, and the delay in fund disbursal was hindering admissions and other preparations.

"All 48 lakh students in Tamil Nadu’s schools are being deprived of their Right to Education due to the Centre’s withholding of funds," Wilson submitted.

In response, Justice Mishra questioned, “Since when were the funds denied?”

Wilson replied, “The funds were not released last year. We filed the suit on May 20, 2025.”

However, the bench observed, “No urgency.”

Tamil Nadu has filed an original suit under Article 131 of the Constitution, accusing the Union Government of withholding funds under the SSS because the state has not implemented the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the PM SHRI scheme.

The state is seeking a direction from the court for the immediate release of ₹2,291 crore, along with future interest. It also seeks a declaration that linking the release of funds to the implementation of NEP 2020 and PM SHRI is “unconstitutional, illegal, unreasonable, and arbitrary.”

Case Title: State of Tamil Nadu v. Union of India
Diary No.: 28793/2025