In a significant political development, the Kerala government has decided to pause the implementation of the PM-SHRI (Schools for Rising India) scheme. This move, announced on Wednesday, comes after considerable pressure from the Communist Party of India (CPI), a key partner in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). The government has also decided to form a cabinet sub-committee to review the scheme.
This policy reversal follows closely on the heels of K Vasuki, Secretary of the Kerala General Education Department, signing the state’s MoU with the Union government in New Delhi. The agreement was aimed at securing essential funding for school infrastructure upgrades and claiming outstanding dues under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme.
Addressing reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, “In the wake of the concerns and controversies surrounding the signing of the MoU for the PM-Shri scheme, the government has decided to review it. A seven-member cabinet sub-committee will be formed to review the scheme and submit a report. Until the cabinet sub-committee submits the report, the Kerala government will inform the Union government via letter that it will not go ahead with the implementation of the scheme.”
When questioned about the reason for the review post-MoU signing and if the state was pressured by the Union government to expedite its participation, the Chief Minister offered a brief response: “Anyway, we have decided to review it. Let’s not go into other details right now.”
The decision follows a series of meetings between leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI, the dominant parties in the LDF, which had been struggling to resolve the deadlock over the scheme. The CPI has voiced strong objections, arguing that the MoU was signed hastily without adequate consultation within the LDF or the cabinet. The party contends that the PM-SHRI scheme, linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, could lead to the ‘saffronisation’ of education in the state, a policy the CPI actively opposes.
Conversely, the CPI(M) and the State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty had emphasized the financial benefits of the scheme, including crucial funding and pending SSA dues needed for staff salaries. Following the CPI(M)’s assurance to temporarily halt the scheme, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam declared it a “victory of the LDF and Left unity” and “the victory of Left ideals.”
However, the Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, criticized the Chief Minister’s lack of clarity. He questioned the relevance of a cabinet sub-committee formed after the MoU was already signed and pointed out the absence of a defined timeline for the committee’s report. Satheesan suggested this was a tactic to save the government’s reputation and added, “The BJP has greater hold over the government than the CPI.”