Kerala Signs MoU With Education Ministry To Join PM SHRI Schools Scheme

New Delhi:

Kerala government on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre to join the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI scheme). The scheme aims to develop infrastructure in two schools from each block with the assistance of the government. Each selected school receives an annual average assistance of Rs 1 crore for five years.

Vasudevan Sivankutty, Minister for General Education and Labour, Government of Kerala said to PTI that the decision to join the scheme has been communicated to the Centre, and the department's secretary has been instructed to sign the agreement. PTI further quoted the minister saying, "This was the only way to secure the Centre's share of Rs 1,500 crore, which is pending for various educational programmes in Kerala."

Initially, the state government had refused to join the scheme, arguing that it could pave the way for the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Kerala. Although the CPIM and the Department of General Education had agreed to join the PM SHRI project much earlier, the Kerala government was forced to backtrack on the decision twice following strong objections from the CPI.

Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, launched on September 7, 2022, is an ambitious scheme of the Modi government to impart high-quality education to students and equip them with 21st-century skills, in order to make them 'future-ready'. The flagship scheme, with an outlay of Rs 27,000 for five years - to be shared by the Centre and states will work towards upgrading about 14,500 schools into 'exemplar' institutions across the country. Under the scheme, Centrally operated, state govt-run schools along with Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) are set to upgraded into 'model' schools, pan India. 

(With inputs from PTI)