- Ministry of Education to urge West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to sign PM SHRI MoU soon
- PM SHRI scheme aims to develop model schools under National Education Policy 2020
- States not signing MoU faced fund withholding under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
The Ministry of Education will write to the Chief Secretaries of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to urge early signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementing the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme in state-run schools. The move comes after recent Assembly election results have changed the political situation in both states. The Centre is now hopeful that key education initiatives linked to the National Education Policy 2020 will be adopted. The PM SHRI scheme aims to improve selected schools as model institutions. Officials believe cooperation from states will help improve education quality and access.
Centre to Push PM SHRI Rollout in States
The Ministry of Education is preparing to send letters "today or tomorrow" to both states, asking them to adopt the PM SHRI scheme at the earliest. A senior official said, "We are hopeful that now states will implement the PM SHRI scheme. We will write to the state chief secretaries for implementation of the PM SHRI scheme."
Earlier, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu had not joined the scheme and did not sign the required MoU. These states are governed by parties that had differences with the Centre on education policies. As per PTI, officials now expect smoother progress in West Bengal after recent electoral changes. However, the situation in Tamil Nadu remains unclear after new political developments.
The Union government had paused or withheld funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan for states that did not sign the MoU. These included Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi and Punjab. As per PTI, the Centre has said that signing the MoU is necessary to receive funds, while opposition parties have raised concerns over linking funds with policy acceptance.
Meanwhile, the ministry is also working on a school-level mental health policy. An official said, "We will be putting it in the public domain very shortly." The policy is likely to be released in the first week of June.
What is PM SHRI Scheme?
PM SHRI is a government scheme to improve selected schools and make them model schools under the National Education Policy 2020. These schools focus on better learning, modern teaching methods, and overall development of children, not just studies. They aim to give quality, equal, and enjoyable education while also supporting students' different needs and skills.
This scheme plans to develop more than 14,500 schools across India as model institutions. It will focus on improving mental health support in schools, including counselling and early detection of stress. Officials said that both school and home environments play an important role in a child's well-being