A Parliamentary Evaluation Committee has expressed concern that Tamil Nadu’s education sector has been significantly affected by low utilisation of funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, unfilled teacher posts and delays in setting up Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs).
The report, presented in Parliament by the committee chaired by BJP Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Jaiswal, reviewed budget and policy aspects related to affordable, quality education and related assessments. It noted that fund utilisation shown on the ‘Prabandh’ portal for 2024–25 was markedly low.
Under the national initiative for foundational literacy and numeracy within Samagra Shiksha, only Rs 1,847 crore was spent out of the Rs 3,029 crore allocated. The committee said utilisation was low across several states, including Tamil Nadu.
For Tamil Nadu specifically, the report said only Rs 10 crore was utilised out of a total allocation of Rs 152 crore, and called for a comprehensive study of systemic obstacles causing implementation delays in states and Union Territories.
On staffing, the committee noted that Tamil Nadu lagged in filling teacher vacancies in Kendriya Vidyalayas. As of November 1, 2025, there were 8,457 vacancies out of 50,414 sanctioned posts nationwide, with Tamil Nadu recording the highest number at 726.
The report also said Tamil Nadu has not yet accepted the establishment of JNVs in all districts, leaving several sanctioned schools non-operational. It attributed delays to issues such as non-availability of land, temporary accommodation and other administrative and infrastructure hurdles, and warned that eligible students are losing access to quality education.
Separately, the committee pointed to a 73% drop in enrolment as students move from primary to higher secondary levels, and said upgrading existing primary and middle schools into full-fledged higher secondary schools is necessary to ensure easier access to education.
