Despite strong opposition from the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the Union government’s PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme.
The MoU was signed in New Delhi on Thursday by Kerala’s General Education Secretary J. Vasuki and officials from the Union Ministry of Education.
The decision comes amid stiff resistance from the CPI, the second-largest constituent of the ruling LDF. During the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, CPI ministers reportedly objected to the move. However, both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and General Education Minister V. Sivankutty chose not to respond, citing that the issue was not part of the meeting’s official agenda.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam had earlier expressed strong opposition to the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme in Kerala, arguing that participation could compromise the state’s distinctive political and educational direction.
Meanwhile, Minister Sivankutty defended the decision, saying that joining the scheme was a “practical step” to ensure Kerala receives its due share of central funds, adding that it would not alter the state’s existing education policies.
Although the CPM and the Education Department had previously favoured joining the scheme, the government had twice withdrawn from doing so following strong objections from the CPI. Sources said the latest decision was also not discussed within the LDF before the MoU was signed.
By signing the agreement, Kerala has reportedly accepted two key conditions that the state had earlier opposed — the implementation of certain provisions under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the requirement for selected schools to display the PM SHRI logo prominently.
Following the signing of the MoU, the CPI expressed sharp displeasure over the government’s unilateral move. CPI MP Binoy Viswam likened the act to “a goalkeeper scoring a self-goal,” while CPI MP Santosh Kumar said CPM leader MA Baby should provide a clear explanation on the issue.