T’puram: Even as the Kerala government continues to accuse the Union government of withholding funds for the Samagra Shiksha programme, official data reveals serious shortcomings in the utilisation of funds that were already released. During the tenure of the current LDF government, the Centre sanctioned funds for only three financial years — and in all three years, the state utilised only about half of the approved project allocations, indicating persistent implementation lapses.
Samagra Shiksha, India’s flagship school education programme, follows a cost-sharing pattern in which the Centre contributes 60% and the state 40%. Funds are released in stages, but only after the state deposits its required share. Any delay or shortfall on the state’s part automatically stalls the Centre’s subsequent instalments. Adding to the bottleneck, utilisation certificates must be submitted before the next round of funds can be disbursed. Kerala’s repeated delays in filing these reports have further slowed down fund flow, worsening the utilisation backlog.
A major component of the expenditure — nearly ₹20 crore every month — goes towards salaries. The programme is implemented through Block Resource Centres (BRCs), each staffed with four senior teachers on deputation. District-level centres have five deputed teachers each. In addition, around 6,000 special educators and specialist teachers employed on temporary contracts must also be paid from the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) budget.
However, concerns have risen over the way deputations are being handled. Currently, even teachers holding permanent government appointments but posted on deputation draw their salaries from SSK funds. While teacher involvement is vital for academic support and monitoring, officials point out that the state has not explored alternative work arrangement models that could have reduced the burden on the programme’s limited financial resources.
Moreover, the deputation system has increasingly become a placement mechanism for leaders of pro-government teachers’ unions. Many BRCs and district centres are now staffed by union office-bearers, raising questions about the prioritisation of postings and the strain caused by high salary payouts.
With low fund utilisation, delayed reporting, and heavy salary commitments, SSK’s financial position remains precarious — even as the state continues to publicly blame the Centre for withholding funds. Critics argue that without internal reforms and better fund management, Kerala risks weakening a programme critical to improving school education outcomes.
