Amid the ongoing debate over the three-language policy, the ruling DMK and its ministers appear determined to justify the government’s stance. However, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi went a step further by making a misleading claim that Tamil Nadu is the only state in India to have allocated ₹55,000 crore solely for education.
This statement contradicts the reality that states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar have spent more than ₹55,000 crore on education, directly challenging the minister’s assertion. His claim, seemingly made to reinforce DMK’s position, backfired and triggered a heated online debate over its accuracy.
Speaking at the ‘Rights of State Education’ convention organized by the Students Federation of India (SFI), DMK School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi highlighted the increasing budget allocation for education under the current government. He stated, “After the change of government, the allocation started at ₹32,000 crores and increased to ₹36,000 crores, ₹40,000 crores, and ₹44,000 crores. Yesterday, regardless of the number of departments, it was confirmed that ₹46,767 crores were allocated to a single department, specifically our school education department. Additionally, ₹8,000 crores were allocated for higher education, bringing Tamil Nadu’s total education budget to ₹55,000 crores. We take pride in being the state that allocated the most funds in India.”
#WATCH | "இந்தியாவிலேயே ஒட்டுமொத்தமாகக் கல்விக்கு என ரூ.55,000 கோடியை ஒதுக்கிய மாநிலம் தமிழ்நாடுதான்" -அமைச்சர் அன்பில் மகேஸ் பொய்யாமொழி பெருமிதம்#SunNews | @Anbil_Mahesh | @mkstalin pic.twitter.com/ZVGlDdofZt
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) March 15, 2025
Contradicting DMK School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi’s claim, the Bihar government presented its 2025-26 budget on 3 March 2025, with a total estimated expenditure of ₹3,16,895.02 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who also oversees the finance portfolio, announced that the state would allocate ₹60,954 crore for education—a figure exceeding the ₹55,000 crore claimed by Anbil Mahesh for Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, in Maharashtra, while no new schemes or initiatives were introduced, the state budget allocated ₹83.11 crore for education under the School Education and Sports Department—an increase from the ₹75.57 crore allocated in the 2024-25 revised estimates.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh’s 2025-26 budget allocated a substantial ₹1.06 lakh crore for education, further disproving Anbil Mahesh’s assertion.
Now, the DMK minister’s claim that Tamil Nadu has the highest education budget in India at ₹55,000 crore is facing widespread ridicule on social media, with statistics proving otherwise.
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