Kerala, which had long resisted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 alongside Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, has now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement the Centre’s PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme. The move marks a significant shift for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which had previously criticised the NEP as a “tool for advancing a right-wing agenda.”
The U-turn comes amid mounting financial pressures on the state, which aims to unlock withheld central funds.
Launched in 2022, PM SHRI is a flagship initiative to establish 14,500 model schools nationwide that exemplify the principles of NEP 2020. With a total budget of Rs 27,360 crore over five years, including Rs 18,128 crore from the Centre, the scheme focuses on upgrading school infrastructure, pedagogy, and overall educational standards.
Until now, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal had remained holdouts, leaving 33 states and Union Territories participating. Kerala’s entry brings the tally to 34. PM SHRI schools are intended to demonstrate NEP innovations, including flexible curricula, skill-based learning, and the integration of technology.
Concerns Over NEP
The LDF government has long viewed NEP 2020 with suspicion, accusing the Union government of using it to advance the ideological influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Key concerns included the potential communalisation of education, promotion of privatisation and commercialisation, and centralisation of control over a traditionally state-managed sector.
Critics in Kerala feared the policy could undermine secularism, scientific temper, and constitutional values. The state’s progressive education system, which emphasises equity and public funding, was seen as being at risk.
Financial Pressures Drive U-Turn
The immediate trigger for Kerala’s decision appears to be financial. The Centre withheld Rs 456 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2025-26 due to Kerala not joining PM SHRI. Adding arrears from previous years, Rs 513.54 crore for 2024-25 and Rs 188.6 crore for 2023-24, the total shortfall reached Rs 1,158 crore.
This funding gap affected more than 40 lakh students in government and aided schools, especially those from marginalised communities. Critical services, including free uniforms, textbooks, scholarships for girls, support for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, therapy for differently abled children, teacher training, and examinations, were disrupted.
By signing the MoU, Kerala is set to receive Rs 1,476.13 crore, covering arrears and PM SHRI allocations until March 2027, alongside Rs 971 crore assured for Samagra Shiksha. General Education Minister V. Sivankutty described the move as a “tactical decision” to protect state interests amid a financial crunch, without compromising the government’s core principles.
LDF Maintains Distance From NEP Ideology
The LDF insists that signing the MoU does not constitute full adoption of NEP 2020. Education Minister Sivankutty highlighted Kerala’s history of progressive educational reforms, including pre-primary education, teacher empowerment, universal enrolment, and the three-language formula, implemented long before NEP.
The MoU allows states to align their own curricula with the NEP framework, granting Kerala flexibility. Sivankutty drew a parallel with the PM-USHA scheme in higher education, where only about 30% of NEP was adopted, preserving state autonomy.
Addressing concerns that curriculum changes could introduce communal bias, the government reiterated that Kerala retains control over its syllabus. The NEP itself permits state-specific frameworks, and the state’s recent revisions continue to uphold inclusive and secular values.
For Kerala schools, the move could mean upgraded facilities in selected PM SHRI institutions, benefiting students, while signalling a pragmatic resolution after Centre-state friction over the policy.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
