The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to review the implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI school scheme, putting its rollout on hold following strong objections from the CPI, a key ally in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a seven-member Cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to study the implementation of the central scheme, which the CPI has alleged could open the door for the “RSS agenda” in the state’s education system.
“Taking into account the controversies and concerns that have arisen over the signing of the MoU related to the PM SHRI scheme, the government has decided to conduct a review before proceeding with its implementation,” Vijayan told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
The Chief Minister said all further proceedings under the scheme will remain suspended until the panel submits its report. The decision, he added, would be formally communicated to the Centre.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty will chair the sub-committee, which also includes ministers K Rajan, P Rajeeve, Roshy Augustine, K Prasad, K Krishnankutty and A K Saseendran.
The move follows days of political uncertainty within the LDF, triggered by the CPI’s objection to the MoU signed by the state government with the Centre. The CPI had argued that joining the PM SHRI scheme contradicted the LDF’s stated policy and bypassed Cabinet consultation, with the party claiming it learned of the signing through media reports.
The CPI(M) and CPI leaderships held multiple rounds of talks over the past few days under Vijayan’s mediation to resolve the dispute. CPI general secretary D Raja later said discussions were “positive”, and the party’s four ministers eventually attended Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, signalling a truce.
Despite questions over the state’s decision, Vijayan dismissed opposition allegations that the MoU was signed following his meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“They keep making such baseless allegations to erode public trust in this government, but people are not buying it,” Vijayan said, adding that attempts to “tag us with communal forces” would not succeed.
Reiterating his government’s opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP), the Chief Minister said Kerala would continue to resist any effort to “push the RSS narrative” in education.
“NEP tried to portray Gandhi’s assassination differently, and we corrected that in our textbooks. Our stance will not change,” he said.
The PM SHRI scheme, introduced by the Centre, aims to upgrade selected schools across the country as model institutions under the National Education Policy. However, the Left parties have opposed both the NEP and the PM SHRI scheme since their inception, alleging they are part of a broader attempt to influence the education system ideologically.
(With inputs from PTI)