Kerala to review implementation of PM SHRI, Centre to be informed: CM Vijayan

The Kerala government will re-examine the implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme following internal criticism and controversy over its perceived ideological implications, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday.

Announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting, Vijayan said a seven-member sub-committee of ministers has been formed to study the scheme and its relevance to Kerala’s education framework before the state proceeds further.

“Taking into account the controversies and concerns that have arisen over the signing of the memorandum of understanding related to the PM SHRI scheme, the government has decided to conduct a review before proceeding with its implementation,” Vijayan told reporters. “All further proceedings will remain on hold until the committee submits its report,” he said, adding that the decision would be officially communicated to the Centre.

The cabinet sub-committee will be chaired by general education minister V. Sivankutty, with ministers K. Rajan, P. Rajeeve, Roshy Augustine, K. Prasad, K. Krishnankutty and A.K. Saseendran as members.

The chief minister’s announcement follows several days of political friction within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), after the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second-largest ally in the coalition, strongly objected to the government’s participation in the scheme.

The CPI alleged that the Central initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, could “open the doors for RSS influence in Kerala’s education system” and said the signing of the MoU represented a “deviation from the LDF’s stated policy”.

The Kerala government had initially defended the MoU, arguing that it was a procedural step to secure Central funds for the state’s schools without compromising autonomy. However, the CPI maintained that joining the scheme contradicted the Left’s consistent opposition to the NEP, which it views as ideologically driven and centralising.

After days of speculation and internal discussions, the government’s decision to pause the scheme and conduct a review appeared to have calmed tensions within the coalition. “The issue has ended,” Vijayan said, indicating that the matter had been settled through dialogue.

In the days leading up to the announcement, a series of meetings were held between senior CPI(M) and CPI leaders under the aegis of the chief minister to find common ground. Though initial talks between Vijayan and CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam in Alappuzha failed to resolve the dispute, subsequent discussions at multiple levels eventually produced a compromise.

Earlier in the day, there were reports that CPI ministers might skip the weekly cabinet meeting in protest, but CPI general-secretary D. Raja later told reporters in New Delhi that “discussions have been positive” and confirmed that the party’s ministers would participate.

All four CPI ministers attended the meeting, signalling that an understanding had been reached. With this, the immediate political uncertainty that had gripped the Left Front for several days appeared to have been resolved.

The chief minister reiterated that Kerala’s stand on education would remain unchanged. “NEP tried to push the RSS agenda, and that is why they attempted to portray Gandhi’s assassination in a different way. What we did was include those portions and print them in our textbooks. We will continue to adopt that stance, and there will be no deviation,” he said.

Responding to Opposition criticism that the MoU was signed after his meetings with Union home minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijayan dismissed the claim as politically motivated. “They have been continuously making such baseless allegations. Their aim is to destroy the growing faith the public has in the government. But the people are not buying it. The attempts to tag us with communal forces will not succeed so easily,” he said.

Vijayan declined to elaborate further on why the MoU was signed before the cabinet discussion. “Anyway, we have taken a stand now. So, it is better not to go into other details at present. What we should be discussing is that the issue has ended. We have now appointed a committee to examine it, and till the committee submits its report, all works related to PM SHRI will be on hold,” he told reporters.

The chief minister said the panel would submit its findings “at the earliest”, though he did not specify a timeline.

The PM SHRI scheme, launched by the Centre in 2022, aims to develop over 14,500 existing schools across India into model institutions aligned with the NEP 2020. It has been adopted by several states, but Kerala’s Left government had resisted participation, citing concerns about centralisation and ideological influence over the state’s education policy.

The CPI(M)-led LDF has consistently opposed the NEP and related initiatives, describing them as attempts to “saffronise” education and undermine federal principles. Kerala has also introduced its own reforms in curriculum and pedagogy to counter the NEP’s framework, focusing on secular content and scientific temper.

Vijayan reaffirmed that Kerala’s independent education model would continue to reflect the state’s values and historical legacy. “We will protect our public education system and ensure it remains inclusive and free from communal influence,” he said.

With the cabinet’s latest decision, the immediate rift within the ruling coalition appears to have been contained, even as the broader debate over federal control and ideological neutrality in education continues to test Left unity in Kerala.

With PTI inputs