Sasikanth Senthil Launches Indefinite Fast Over Withheld SSA Funds for Tamil Nadu

fast Summary

• Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil began an indefinite fast in Tiruvallur, protesting against the Union government’s withholding of ₹2,000 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
• He claims the delay in fund disbursal is tied to Tamil Nadu’s opposition to aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP).
• Senthil argues this decision disrupts public education and penalizes students and teachers across Tamil Nadu.
• The Congress MP emphasized the urgency for funds to be released first, followed by negotiations on policy disagreements between governments.
• He raised concerns about federalism and constitutional values being violated by linking fund disbursement to political policies.
• Senthil made prior efforts such as raising this issue during Zero Hour in Parliament and through communications with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
• He stressed that withholding educational funds impacts learning outcomes and sets a problematic precedent for Center-State relations.

To read more: the Hindu

Indian opinion Analysis

The protest initiated by Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil brings attention to broader issues surrounding federalism, distribution of resources, and Centre-State relations within India’s governance framework.Education falls under the Concurrent List of subjects shared between both levels of government. Withholding critical SSA funds appears contentious when tied directly with political disagreements over policy frameworks like NEP-a move that may not align with constitutional provisions regarding cooperative federalism.

This progress raises important implications for India: it underscores potential risks involved in centralization tendencies if States’ rights to regional customization are curtailed. Senthil’s protest could spark conversations around balancing national policies with diverse local needs-specifically ensuring that such dialogues do not impede basic social services such as education while maintaining fairness across States.