Exiting PM Shri can cost Kerala Rs 2,000 Cr, says education minister
Minister N Samsudheen says Centre could also withhold other education-related funds if the agreement was not honoured
The UDF-led government in Kerala has said that the state could lose more than Rs 2,000 crore if it withdraws from the Centre’s PM Shri scheme, as the agreement signed by the previous LDF government does not permit the state to unilaterally exit the programme.
The government, earlier this month, had said that it is compelled to continue the scheme, put on hold by the previous LDF government after protests by allies, as the CPI(M)-led government has already received funds under the central programme.
'Only Centre can cancel scheme'
Replying to a question in the state Assembly on the legal and financial implications of Kerala backing out of the centrally-sponsored scheme on Monday (June 29), Kerala General Education Minister N Samsudheen said the agreement vested the right to withdraw only with the Centre and not with the state.
He said that if Kerala exits the scheme, around Rs 1,000 crore earmarked for PM Shri schools would be lost.
Also read: Kerala: UDF, LDF spar over PM SHRI scheme
Under the agreement, one elementary school and one secondary school are to be selected from each of the state's 152 local self-government blocks, taking the total to 304 schools.
Each school is eligible for Rs 1 crore annually for three years under the scheme.
Effect on funding of other schemes
The minister said the scheme follows a 60:40 funding pattern, with the Centre contributing 60 per cent and the state 40 per cent.
He said it was a fact that the Centre could also withhold other education-related funds if the agreement was not honoured.
He said the previous LDF government was forced to sign the PM Shri agreement in the hope of securing central assistance, including around Rs 1,158 crore under the Samagra Shiksha (SSK) programme.
Also read: Why signing PM SHRI does not mean ceding ideological ground
"Altogether, the state stands to lose more than Rs 2,000 crore if it withdraws from the agreement," he said.
The minister also said education falls under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, and states have the right to decide what should be taught in their schools. He said the opinion of the elected state government carries significance in deciding the curriculum in respective states.
Also read: How Kerala is rewriting India's higher education playbook
The minister said the present government was trying to resolve the issues arising from the agreement signed by the previous LDF government.
Resistance against PM Shri
The previous CPI(M)-led Left government had, in October last year, put on hold the implementation of the PM Shri scheme, days after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre, following objections from coalition partner CPI.
The CPI had alleged that the scheme could pave the way for the implementation of the RSS agenda in the education sector, while the General Education Department had defended the move as necessary for securing central assistance. The Congress-led UDF opposition then criticised the LDF government for signing the PM SHRI MoU.
Also read: PM SHRI promises to transform schools; is it tacitly pushing NEP?
After coming to power, the UDF government constituted a ministerial sub-committee to study the PM Shri scheme, including its legal, financial and policy implications, amid the continuing dispute over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).
(With inputs from agencies)