Overview
- Kerala signed an MoU with the Centre to implement PM SHRI, then paused the move after the CPI objected and a cabinet sub-committee was set up to examine the agreement.
- CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the review reflects Left ideological commitment and described the issue as a test of conviction rather than a CPI–CPM tussle.
- Education minister V. Sivankutty framed the signing as a tactical step to secure due funds without conceding control over the state’s curriculum.
- PM SHRI, approved in 2022, aims to upgrade over 14,500 schools under a ₹27,360 crore outlay, with states required to commit to implementing NEP 2020 and adopt scheme branding.
- Reports note the Centre had tied release of Kerala’s Samagra Shiksha dues to the MoU, while West Bengal and Tamil Nadu still refuse to join over funding, branding and language-policy concerns.