The decision taken by Kerala’s United Democratic Front (UDF) government not to withdraw from the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme, which seeks to improve the quality of education and school infrastructure, has triggered a major controversy with the opposition Left alleging it to be part of the Congress’s “deal” with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
CPI(M) slams UDF
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which leads the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), even accused the ruling dispensation of misleading the public about the initiative.
The CPI(M) state secretariat alleged that the CM’s announcement on the PM SHRI scheme reflected an “understanding between the Congress and the BJP,” warning that Kerala’s secular society would not allow the National Education Policy (NEP) — which it called a Sangh Parivar agenda — to be implemented.
The party accused UDF leaders, including Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and P K Kunhalikutty, of contradicting their earlier promises to oppose the scheme. It also alleged that the UDF had misled religious minorities during the Assembly elections and demanded a public apology, while reiterating its opposition to the NEP’s alleged “saffronisation” of education.
BJP blasts both UDF and LDF
The BJP, meanwhile, accused both the UDF and the LDF, which lost power in April, of delaying the PM SHRI scheme for political reasons. It claimed that the delay deprived Kerala’s students of educational benefits and accused the government of taking contradictory positions on the scheme’s implementation.
Party leader K Surendran accused Satheesan and his predecessor, Pinarayi Vijayan, of delaying the PM SHRI scheme for political reasons and said that they should apologise to Kerala’s students.
He criticised Satheesan for opposing the PM SHRI scheme in the past, but now deciding to implement it after coming to power.
Reactions come after UDF govt reveals stance
The opposition’s reactions came in after the UDF government on Wednesday (June 17) revealed its decision against withdrawing from the PM SHRI scheme and that it would try to seek a conditional implementation of the initiative in a manner that would give the state the freedom to fix the curriculum.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram following a Cabinet meeting that he himself chaired, state Chief Minister VD Satheesan said he has discussed the matter with his counterparts in states that are not ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who have agreed to implement the scheme.
Also read: Kerala: UDF, LDF spar over PM SHRI scheme
He also said the Cabinet decided to form a four-member sub-committee to study all aspects of the initiative.
LDF put scheme on hold
The central government scheme, launched in 2022, aims to transform over 14,500 schools into modern schools under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The previous LDF government, in October 2025, put the scheme on hold following strong opposition by alliance partner Communist Party of India (CPI). The CPI had accused the previous Vijayan government of signing the MoU for the scheme without consulting the cabinet or coalition partners and demanded to officially freeze the agreement.
The CPI and other left parties allege that the curriculum under NEP is highly influenced by RSS ideology and that the PM Shri, which comes under NEP, will enable the Centre to interfere in state-controlled education.
Also read: UDF govt trying to implement PM SHRI scheme, alleges CPI(M) leader Sivankutty
Paying heed to the coalition partner’s demand, the LDF government had halted the scheme and constituted a seven-member committee to examine the matter. In November that year, the state government, in a letter to the Centre, urged that no further steps should be taken for the implementation of the scheme in the state.
LDF already received funds: Kerala CM
Justifying his administration’s decision not to withdraw from the scheme, Satheesan said that the previous LDF government had already inked an agreement with the Centre and received around Rs 99 crore in connection with the initiative.
“An additional Rs 106 crore has been sanctioned by the government. In these circumstances, we are forced to continue with it. Moreover, around Rs 1,100 crore is due to the state as its right from the taxes collected by the Centre and which have to be given to us,” he contended.
Former Finance Minister and senior CPI(M) leader K N Balagopal, in a Facebook post, rejected the CM’s claim. He said that the LDF government had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the scheme on October 23 last year only after the Centre withheld education-related grants, including those under the Samagra Shiksha programme, because the agreement had not been signed.
‘Will ensure no communal agenda is implemented’
The chief minister was reacting to a volley of questions related to the UDF’s Assembly poll campaign, that they will withdraw from the scheme if they came to power in Kerala.
Also read: No ’emergency’ to decide on PM SHRI scheme: Kerala education minister
He claimed that the UDF only opposed how the agreement was signed, allegedly by keeping the CPI ministers in the then Cabinet “in the dark”.
Satheesan said that the government has to now see how to go forward with it while ensuring no communal agenda is implemented in the state, and that is why the cabinet sub-committee has been formed.
He said that the committee, comprising ministers N Samsudheen, Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh and M Liju, will study all the matters related to the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, including the legal position.
Govt will set terms
Satheesan said that based on the committee’s report, the government will place its conditions – freedom to fix the curriculum of the state and select the schools where the scheme will be implemented – for going ahead with the initiative.
The chief minister said that the Cabinet also decided to set up another sub-committee with regard to public procurement.
He said that the current public procurement manual was long outdated and was not even aware that systems like e-procurement are in place.
Also read: TN will not bow to PM SHRI pressure, says Education Minister Rajmohan
He also said that there are central government general financial rules and guidelines with regard to procurement, which apply to the state.
New panel on public procurement
“But our manual is different from that and outdated. So, we are going to bring a new system for public procurement and various government works, and to prepare guidelines for it, a cabinet sub-committee has been formed. It shall comprise ministers heading the Public Works, Tourism, Information Technology, Water Resources, and Higher Education departments,” Satheesan said.
He said the committee will give reports about each department and will suggest a system to make procurement scientific, faster, and more transparent.
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