Fourteen-year-old Krishnan is autistic and has ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). He has also been getting epileptic fits of late.

Krishnan attends a school where special educators of the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) visit twice a week to provide therapies. The rest of the days, he comes to the SSK’s south urban resource centre at Government Upper Primary School, Fort, in the Keralam capital to receive the benefits of therapies provided at the autism centre there.

“Krishnan needs medicines that cost at least ₹7,000 a month. We have to find that money from my husband’s earnings as a daily wage labourer,” says Thankamani, Krishnan’s mother.

Thankamani earns some remuneration from other parents whose children she looks after, along with Krishnan, during the time she spends at the autism centre at the school, popularly known as Sathram School. That, however, is little since the other parents too are living in similar straitened circumstances.

When Krishnan was younger, Thankamani would take him to school and the autism centre on a bus. Now that he is an adolescent and even taller than her, she has no option but to take an autorickshaw. “On a bus, he will not sit quietly and creates a disturbance,” she says.

However, the frequent autorickshaw trips have become a financial burden for the family, as they are no longer receiving the travel allowance previously provided by Samagra Shiksha Kerala.

SSK staff say that earlier, expenses incurred in commuting to school or for free therapies provided not only by the autism centre but also by hospitals or the National Institute for Speech and Hearing (NISH) could be met to an extent from the travel allowance. That is not the case anymore owing to withholding of Samagra Shiksha funds to Keralam by the Union government since the 2023-24 year.

Nine-year-old Anand has locomotor disability and so cannot be taken to the autism centre on a bus. However, the expenses of the commute to school are much more than a family with one earning member can bear.

Anand’s mother, Veni, says her husband cannot not find work every day. Then there are the medical expenses for his health issues, as well as Veni’s.

The SSK staff say Anand is a very good student, but when there is no money at home, he does not come to school. This happens at least once a week. “We pitch in with financial support every once in a while, but there is only so much we can do,” they say.

“The lack of funds is disrupting children’s access to multiple therapies, especially where early intervention can result in a significant improvement in their condition. This leads to a pause in their development, affecting their day-to-day activities and in fact, their life,” they say.

Distribution of assistive devices hit

The distribution of assistive devices such as hearing aids, crutches, and wheelchairs too has been hit. Anand is yet to receive a caliper, though he had been prescribed one at a medical camp organised by the SSK last year. His wheelchair too is not in a good condition, but the family can hardly afford a new one.

“There is a limit to how much help can be extended to the children through sponsorships,” the SSK staff say.

Even equipment such as treadmills purchased for the autism centre using SSK funds are barely functioning owing to lack of maintenance. “Today, the family of a child has agreed to bear the expenses for its maintenance,” says a staff member.

Over ₹116 crore comprising Union government share and matching State share for inclusive education was not released in the 2025-26 financial year. A similar amount needs to be released in the 2026-27 financial year too for various activities to be conducted as per plan.

The challenges are many. The SSK staff hope that the pending funds are sanctioned soon so that differently abled children do not suffer any more than they already have.

(Names of the children and their parents have been changed to protect their privacy)

The Union government has reiterated its stance on the release of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to Tamil Nadu pointing out that it is linked to the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, it said the Right to Education (Entitlements) component under the SSA funds would be released to the State in due time.

This was in response to a question raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Dayanidhi Maran on the release of Samagra Shiksha funds. Pointing out that “the implementation of Samagra Shiksha is the implementation of NEP”, the Centre said: “The PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme, launched in September 2022, aims to showcase all the components of NEP. However, the State of Tamil Nadu has not signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the scheme. As such, the State is not implementing the NEP in its entirety.” it added.

The Tamil Nadu government had refused to implement the three-language formula stipulated under the NEP, and sign an MoU pertaining to the establishment of PM-SHRI schools. According to the Project Approval Board under the Union Ministry of Education, Tamil Nadu has been allocated ₹3,041.81 crore for the financial year 2026-27 under Samagra Shiksha funds. While the Centre’s share is ₹1,825 crore, the State’s share is ₹1,216 crore. The allocated budget for Tamil Nadu continues to dip, as in the year 2025-26, the Centre had allocated ₹3,044.52 crore. The Centre had allocated ₹3,586 crore in 2024-25.

The allocations for Samagra Shiksha are made under the components of elementary, secondary, and teacher education. Even as allocations are made, Tamil Nadu has not received the Centre’s full share since 2024. Last year, after a notice from the Supreme Court, the Union government had released ₹538.39 crore under the RTE (Entitlements) component under the SSA. This year, the Project Approval Board has allocated ₹624.19 crore for the RTE (Entitlements) component of Samagra Shiksha, including the Centre’s share of ₹374.51 crore, the reply added.