The Education Ministry has halted Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal due to their refusal to join the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme. This scheme, with a budget of over ₹27,000 crore, aims to upgrade 14,500 government schools under the National Education Policy 2020. States must sign an MoU with the Education Ministry to participate, but Delhi, Punjab, and West Bengal have declined. Consequently, these states have not received SSA funds for recent quarters, impacting salaries and resources for schools. Punjab and Delhi run similar local schemes, while West Bengal objects to the PM-SHRI prefix. Despite ongoing communication, including letters from Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, these states remain excluded from funding, causing significant financial strain.

Source- HT