New Delhi: The Union Education Ministry informed Parliament that Kerala signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the PM-SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme on October 23, 2025, formally joining the Centre's flagship school-modernisation programme after resisting it for nearly two years.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that once a State signs the MoU, it must upload school-level data before participating in the competitive "Challenge Mode" selection process.
The clarification came in response on Monday to a starred question raised in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP M.K. Raghavan.
The minister reiterated that PM-SHRI is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at upgrading existing government schools into exemplar institutions aligned with NEP 2020.
NDTV had earlier reported that Kerala, which had consistently argued that PM-SHRI was a "backdoor" mechanism to impose NEP 2020, reluctantly agreed to the MoU after it became clear the funding halt would severely affect school-level welfare schemes.
Immediately after the signing, Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front erupted in infighting. Days later the state government put the implementation of PM-SHRI on hold and appointed a seven-member committee to re-examine the implications of the pact.
Centre Silent on Withdrawal Mechanism
In Parliament, however, the Ministry did not specify whether States may withdraw from the MoU or the procedure for doing so-despite the MP's direct question. It merely stated that MoUs contain mutual commitments, without detailing guidelines or timelines for withdrawal.
A Policy Dispute Still Far From Over
The Centre's statement in Parliament frames Kerala's role as procedurally complete. But on the ground, the future of PM-SHRI in Kerala is still in limbo shaped as much by politics as by policy.
