Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has claimed that the state is receiving significantly less funding than its actual claim under the Centre's 'Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan' scheme.
According to the state's School Education Department, although Maharashtra accounts for 8.61 per cent of the country's total student population, it has been allocated only 3.06 per cent of the central scheme's total budget. Based on these figures, the state government asserts that the allocation falls short of its due share by over ₹4,900 crore.
Officials from the School Education Department state that the total budget for the 'Samagra Shiksha' scheme for the 2025–26 fiscal year is ₹87,367 crore. Of this amount, only ₹2,673 crore has been allocated to Maharashtra.
They argue that if the allocation had been made in amount to the state's share of the country's total student population, Maharashtra should have received approximately 8.61 per cent—or around ₹7,522 crore. The state government claims that, in comparison, the actual allocation falls short by more than ₹4,900 crore.
According to state government data, Maharashtra has over 1,00,000 schools, more than 21 million students, and over 7,50,000 teachers. The Education Department believes that this vast education system requires greater central financial assistance.
Maharashtra's Education Minister, Dada Bhuse, has requested the Centre to significantly increase the state's allocation under the 'Samagra Shiksha' scheme.
The state contends that currently, more than 90 per cent of the education budget is consumed by the salaries and pensions of teachers and staff. So, very little funding remains for costs on new school buildings, classrooms, digital infrastructure, and other developmental projects.
They believe that if the Centre increases financial assistance, it will be easier to improve the quality of education in government schools.
Alongside the Samagra Shiksha scheme, the Maharashtra government has requested the Centre to increase its financial contribution to the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM Poshan) scheme.
Currently, the 1,64,558 cooks and helper staff engaged in this scheme receive a monthly salary of ₹2,500. Of this amount, the Centre contributes ₹600, while the state government provides ₹1,900. Maharashtra has urged the Centre to raise its contribution to ₹2,000 to reduce the financial load on the state.
According to reports, the Maharashtra government has already formally submitted its demands to the Centre. However, the central government has not yet announced any detailed response or new decision regarding these demands.
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