Pinarayi govt puts PM SHRI scheme on hold following CPI pushback

The Kerala government has decided to put the implementation of the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme on hold, following stiff opposition from its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI).

The decision comes after a series of tense exchanges within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and multiple meetings between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam.

The Cabinet, which met on Tuesday (October 28), approved the formation of a seven-member ministerial subcommittee to study the implications of the scheme and explore options to secure the Centre’s withheld Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds without compromising Kerala’s political and policy autonomy.

Conciliatory gesture

The move is widely viewed as a conciliatory gesture towards the CPI, which has taken a firm ideological stand against the Centre’s education policy framework. Though the party had initially threatened to boycott the cabinet meeting, its ministers eventually took part after a consensus was reached.

Also Read: How Modi regime used central institutes to enforce NEP on state varsities

“Now that a subcommittee has been formed, it will examine the possible steps to be taken on the issue,” the Chief Minister said after the cabinet meeting.

“I won’t go into details, not because I lack explanations, but because it would be inappropriate at this stage. We now have a consensus, and the committee will deliberate on all these aspects,” he added.

Final decision deferred

Pinarayi's remarks made it clear that the government intends to defer a final decision until after the elections.

“The committee has been constituted, and we will proceed based on its findings,” he said. “We have a packed schedule in the coming months, and once that’s over, we can take an informed decision,” he added.

Also Read: Why signing PM SHRI does not mean ceding ideological ground

The CPI’s tough posture forced the CPI(M) to step back and devise a compromise formula to prevent a rupture within the ruling coalition. The subcommittee, comprising ministers from both parties, will examine whether Kerala can accept central assistance while retaining complete control over curriculum, language policy, and pedagogy.

“We are not claiming it as our victory or anything of that sort. If at all this is a victory, it is the victory of the cohesiveness of the LDF and the left politics,” Viswom said after the meeting with the chief minister this morning.

Frozen SSA funds

The controversy erupted earlier this month after the state government signed the MoU for PM SHRI, a Centrally-sponsored scheme to upgrade selected schools into “model institutions” aligned with NEP objectives. The CPI(M) justified the move as an administrative necessity after the Union government froze SSA funds, citing Kerala’s non-compliance.

The withheld funds had disrupted salary payments for staff working under central education projects and threatened to stall the state’s successful mid-day meal scheme.

Also Read: PM SHRI scheme | No change in Kerala's curriculum: Minister Sivankutty

“The state was left with no option. We were running the entire programme with our own funds, which is unsustainable in the long run,” said V Sivankutty, the state Education minister.

CPI refuses to soften stand

However, the CPI accused the government of succumbing to central pressure. The disagreement deepened after the CPI(M) went ahead without a broader Left consensus. The CPI leadership was particularly upset that the decision was taken without consulting the LDF coordination committee.

Facing mounting criticism from within and outside the front, Pinarayi held a one-on-one discussion with Viswam on Sunday. The meeting failed to produce a breakthrough, with the CPI refusing to soften its stand. Sources said the CPI ministers were even considering boycotting the next cabinet meeting as a mark of protest.

Also Read: Confusion deepens in LDF after Kerala signs PM SHRI deal with Centre

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, the CPI(M) leadership decided to pause the rollout of PM SHRI, form the ministerial subcommittee, and restore the LDF’s internal consultation process.

Congress accused LDF of duplicity

The PM SHRI row has given the opposition Congress an opportunity to attack the ruling front. Congress leaders accused the LDF of duplicity, but their claim that Congress-ruled states never signed the PM SHRI MoU was quickly countered.

Records show that Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana had joined the scheme under Congress rule.

Meanwhile, comparisons with Tamil Nadu’s court case over withheld SSA-RTE funds have also surfaced, but experts point out that the two situations are distinct. Tamil Nadu’s case pertains to reimbursement obligations under the Right to Education Act, 2009, not to the NEP-linked PM SHRI scheme.

7-member ministerial panel

The seven-member ministerial panel will assess the conditions attached to PM SHRI, evaluate the financial implications of rejecting or delaying it, and recommend a politically acceptable path forward for the LDF government.

For now, the CPI(M) hopes the pause will buy time to manage the internal fallout, while the CPI insists that the state must not concede even symbolically to the Centre’s centralised education policy.

Also Read: RTI reveals top-down push in NEP 2020, Centre sidelining states' concerns

As both sides attempt to strike a balance between ideological purity and administrative compulsion, the PM SHRI controversy has evolved into a crucial test of the LDF’s unity and its ability to navigate the pressures of cooperative federalism in a politically-charged climate.