A heated dispute has erupted between Tamil Nadu's state government and the Centre over education funding. Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi alleges that the central government is deliberately withholding Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to coerce Tamil Nadu into joining the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. The minister presented data showing that while 20-25 states have received their funding, Tamil Nadu remains excluded.

BJP state chief K Annamalai defended the Centre's position, stating that Tamil Nadu's exclusion is temporary, with some states like Kerala and West Bengal also awaiting their first installment. He accused Chief Minister MK Stalin of misleading the public about fund allocation, citing that Gujarat received Rs 510 crore out of its Rs 1,598 crore allocation, while Tamil Nadu's share of Rs 6,971 crore is pending.

Minister Poyyamozhi emphasized the critical nature of these funds, noting that they support 40 lakh students and 32,000 people involved in various educational projects, including robotics classes. He views the Centre's requirement to sign the PM SHRI agreement as a form of pressure, arguing that accepting it would mean endorsing both the National Education Policy and the three-language policy.