New Delhi, June 10 -- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea by the Tamil Nadu government seeking an urgent hearing in its suit against the Union government for allegedly withholding over Rs.2,000 crore in funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS), citing what the state described as "coercive tactics" by the Centre to force the state to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"For how long has this fund not been given? What is the urgency now?" a bench of justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan asked senior advocate P Wilson, who mentioned the matter on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, seeking an expedited listing.

As Wilson flagged the constitutional right to free and compulsory education of nearly 4.8 milli...