Overview

• A division bench of Justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshmi directed the Centre to stop tying RTE reimbursements to NEP adoption and to consider releasing the RTE component of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme separately
• The court highlighted that Tamil Nadu had fronted about ₹188 crore for 2023–24 RTE reimbursements without receiving its central share
• Justices noted that Section 7 of the RTE Act imposes concurrent funding duties on both the Centre and states and ruled that grants must not be withheld over policy disagreements
• The bench ordered Tamil Nadu to proceed with reimbursements to private unaided schools under Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act despite delays in central disbursements
• Tamil Nadu’s Supreme Court petition is pending while state officials continue to await the Centre’s ₹2,151.59 crore allocation for the 2024–25 Samagra Shiksha Scheme