Minister says UDF will decide on PM SHRI soon
UDF to Examine PM SHRI Scheme After Fresh Communication From Centre
Bharatmorningnews.com – The Kerala government is set to take a political decision on the PM SHRI school scheme after receiving a fresh communication from the Union government seeking the State’s position on the programme. General education minister N Shamsudheen said the matter would be discussed by chief minister VD Satheesan and the United Democratic Front leadership before a final response is sent.
The Centre’s latest letter has renewed debate over a programme that has remained politically sensitive in Kerala. PM SHRI, short for Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India, is designed to improve selected government schools and develop them as model institutions aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.
Shamsudheen said the Union education secretary had written to the chief secretary, asking the State to convey whether it wished to proceed. He emphasised that Kerala’s approval was necessary before the scheme could move ahead.
“We have got another communication from the Union government asking us to convey our decision regarding PM-SHRI. They said that the scheme can be taken forward only with our consent. The letter was sent by the Union education secretary to the chief secretary”.
The minister said he would not make the decision independently, noting that the issue involves the government’s wider political position and its commitments within the UDF coalition.
“I cannot decide on it alone. The chief minister and the UDF leadership will sit together and discuss it. The CM will convey the final decision,”
Political reservations remain
Both the Left Democratic Front and the ruling UDF have previously raised objections to the scheme. Their concern has not principally been about school buildings or facilities, but about the broader policy framework associated with PM SHRI and the National Education Policy.
The two fronts have argued that the initiative forms part of an ideological effort by the BJP-RSS to promote what they describe as “majoritarian nationalism” among students and to “saffronise” education in States. Those concerns have made the programme more contentious in Kerala than a conventional infrastructure project.
Shamsudheen, who represents the Indian Union Muslim League, said the UDF had opposed the plan before the April-May elections and had not abandoned its reservations. He indicated that the scheme’s provisions would need close scrutiny before the coalition settles on a final course.
“We still hold reservations about it. Therefore, its details need to be examined,”
The forthcoming discussions will therefore focus not only on whether Kerala remains part of the arrangement, but also on the scope of any safeguards the State may seek regarding education policy and classroom content.
Earlier MoU adds to the challenge
The issue is complicated by an agreement made under the previous LDF administration. In 2025, the former Kerala government signed a memorandum of understanding in Delhi for implementation of PM SHRI. However, objections raised by the Communist Party of India, a constituent of the LDF, led the government to put implementation on hold.
That earlier decision created an unusual situation: Kerala had signed on to the scheme but had not carried it forward. The new UDF administration must now weigh its earlier opposition against the practical and legal implications of the State already being a signatory to the memorandum.
In June, chief minister VD Satheesan said Kerala could not simply opt out on its own because the previous government had entered into the MoU. He maintained that the UDF government had effectively been compelled to implement the programme as a result of that agreement.
At the same time, Satheesan drew a clear line on curriculum decisions. He said the State would not permit outside interference in determining what students should be taught in schools covered by the scheme. That position suggests Kerala may seek to separate improvements in school infrastructure from any perceived influence over educational content.
What PM SHRI aims to do
The national PM SHRI initiative proposes to upgrade 14,500 schools across the country. It is expected to benefit around 1.8 million students and seeks to make participating schools examples for neighbouring institutions.
Its stated focus includes improving the overall learning environment in government schools and reflecting the approach of NEP 2020. For families, teachers and students, the immediate relevance of the debate lies in whether eligible Kerala schools will receive the programme’s support and under what terms the State chooses to participate.
The Centre has made clear that it needs Kerala’s consent to proceed. The UDF leadership’s deliberations will now determine whether the State accepts the scheme, seeks conditions around its implementation, or continues to withhold approval.
For Kerala’s education system, the decision carries significance beyond a single government programme. It will test how the State balances opportunities for school development with its insistence on preserving control over curriculum, public education policy and the values taught in classrooms.
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