In a move that has unsettled Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the state signed the Union‑run PM SHRI – the Prime Minister’s School for Rising India – on Thursday. The pact, which will upgrade 14,500 government schools into “model institutions”, adds to the LDF’s total outlay of ₹27,000 crore under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The decision has sparked fury inside the coalition that shares power with the Communist Party of India (CPI). CPI, the LDF’s second‑biggest partner and a key voice in Kerala’s education policy, has opposed PM SHRI since its launch. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the party would not “dilute its stand” and warned the scheme could invite “ideological interference” from the centre. Viswam and other CPI leaders filed three objections in cabinet meetings, but Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has so far not ruled them out in public.
CPI’s student wing also voiced its dissent. “If reports are true, this goes against the declared policy of the Left,” said student leader Bipin Abraham. The CPI said it would announce next steps soon.
Opposition parties jumped in as well. Congress has decried the state’s participation as a pathway to the “saffronisation” of Kerala’s schools. Leader of the opposition, V.D. Satheesan, urged the government not to sign the agreement, citing Tamil Nadu’s resistance as a warning. The leader also cautioned that the contract could strain state‑centre relations.
The Centre, however, has assured that Kerala will receive the withheld Samagra Shiksha Keralam (SSK) funds of about ₹1,500 crore once the PM SHRI pact takes effect. The new schools will benefit from modern facilities and training under the national initiative launched in September 2022.
With the signing under pressure from both the coalition’s left wing and the opposition, Kerala’s new partnership with the central government raises questions about the future of state‑driven education policy and the balance of power in Indian states.
Source: ianslive
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