Centre's Response Puts Kerala Government On Defensive Over PM SHRI School Scheme

The Centre has told Parliament that states are under no obligation to implement the PM SHRI school scheme, a clarification that weakens the Kerala government's key argument that it had little choice but to continue with the programme.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday said PM SHRI has not been implemented in government schools in Kerala. He said the state did not participate in the process of selecting schools under the scheme and that no PM SHRI funds have been released to government schools in Kerala.

The minister also clarified that the Rs 99.27 crore released to Kerala was not PM SHRI funding but the state's Right to Education (RTE) allocation routed through the Samagra Shiksha programme.

The clarification comes weeks after Chief Minister VD Satheesan defended his government's decision to continue with PM SHRI, saying the previous Left government had already signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre and that Kerala had received and utilised around Rs 99 crore. He had also said another Rs 106 crore had been sanctioned, making it difficult for the state to withdraw from the scheme.

The Centre's reply, however, suggests that the Rs 99.27 crore was unrelated to PM SHRI and that no funds under the scheme have reached Kerala's government schools. That raises questions over the government's claim that it was financially committed to continue with the programme.

The issue is politically sensitive because the Congress-led UDF had strongly opposed PM SHRI while in the Opposition, arguing that it could dilute the state's control over school education and curriculum. During the Assembly election campaign, some UDF leaders had even vowed that the scheme would be "thrown into the Arabian Sea" if the front came to power.

After assuming office, however, the government adopted a more cautious stand. Mr Satheesan has maintained that Kerala will implement the scheme only if the state retains full authority over the curriculum and the selection of schools. The government has constituted a four-member Cabinet sub-committee, comprising ministers N Samsudheen, Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh and M Liju, to examine the legal and administrative aspects and negotiate Kerala's conditions with the Centre.

The CPM-led Opposition has accused the government of making an unnecessary political compromise. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has described the decision as a "shameful surrender", arguing that the state was never compelled to proceed with PM SHRI. He has cited a May 8, 2026, letter from the Union Education Secretary urging Kerala to begin implementation of the scheme, saying it showed the programme had not taken effect despite the signing of the MoU.

The controversy has also triggered unease within the ruling coalition. The Indian Union Muslim League, the Congress's principal ally in the UDF, has so far refrained from publicly endorsing the government's decision. A UDF meeting held at Cliff House on Thursday ended without any strong statement from League leaders on the issue, fuelling speculation over differences within the alliance.

With both the Centre and the Left Opposition maintaining that Kerala was not bound to implement PM SHRI, the Satheesan government now faces growing political pressure. The coming days are likely to determine whether it proceeds with the scheme under negotiated conditions or reconsiders its decision altogether.

The Satheesan government is now at a political crossroads: embrace PM SHRI with no opportunity to blame the previous left government or abandon it and explain why it took so long.