Government says no decision has been taken on implementing the PM SHRI scheme
June 24, 2026: A heated debate erupted in the Kerala Assembly over the Centre’s PM SHRI school scheme, leading to a confrontation between the ruling UDF and the opposition LDF. General Education Minister N Samsudheen maintained that the government had neither signed an agreement with the Centre nor taken any decision to implement the scheme. He said a cabinet sub-committee was examining the matter and assured that any decision would protect Kerala’s interests. The issue surfaced during an adjournment motion moved by CPI MLA P Prasad, which was later denied by the Speaker.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly disputed the government’s claims, alleging that efforts were being made to quietly implement the scheme. He argued that the previous LDF government had frozen the memorandum of understanding signed with the Centre and never proceeded with implementation. According to Vijayan, no monitoring committees were formed, no school lists were updated, and no funds were received under the programme. He also claimed that the Centre itself had acknowledged before the Supreme Court that PM SHRI had not yet been implemented in Kerala.
P Prasad described PM SHRI as a project linked to the BJP’s ideological agenda and argued that accepting the scheme would effectively mean accepting the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He criticised the government for not clearly ruling out implementation and accused it of surrendering to central pressure. After the Speaker rejected leave for the adjournment motion, LDF members staged a walkout in protest. The controversy has turned PM SHRI into a major political flashpoint in Kerala, with both sides accusing each other of compromising the state’s educational and ideological interests.