Finally, Kerala writes to Centre seeking to halt PM SHRI scheme’s implementation

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 The Kerala government has written to the Centre seeking to put on hold all further action under the PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme, following internal discord within the ruling Left coalition over the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union government.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Cabinet on Wednesday that the communication had been sent to the Union Education Ministry, requesting that implementation be suspended until further clarification.

The development comes after the CPI, the second-largest constituent in the Left Democratic Front (LDF), expressed strong displeasure over the state government’s earlier decision to sign the MoU without prior discussion in the Cabinet.

The CPI leadership had taken serious exception to the move, describing it as a violation of collective responsibility and warning of potential political repercussions if corrective steps were not taken.

Ministers K. Rajan and P. Prasad on Wednesday met the Chief Minister personally to convey the party’s dissatisfaction over the delay in acting on the issue.

They reportedly urged the Chief Minister to clarify the government’s position immediately, noting that the CPI’s state council viewed the matter as one that could strain coalition unity.

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, reacting to the development, said this is a decision taken by LDF, which has now been put into practice.

“The delay is not the issue; there is a process, and it has happened. CPI was sure, as that has always been the practice in LDF,” said Viswam.

The CPI argued that the PM SHRI scheme, being centrally sponsored, could allow the Centre to encroach upon state powers in the education sector — a stance consistent with the Left’s broader opposition to perceived centralisation in policymaking.

Under mounting pressure, the Chief Minister agreed to send a formal communication to the Centre, effectively putting the project on hold.

Later, State Education Minister V. Sivankutty confirmed to reporters that the letter had been sent. He said Kerala had conveyed its decision to suspend all proceedings related to the PM SHRI initiative and that the Centre had been informed accordingly.

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