Why Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal Are Opposing Centre’s PM-SHRI School Scheme Amidst NEP Row | Explained – News18

Last Updated:March 12, 2025, 09:48 IST

Tamil Nadu, Kerala, which had last year agreed to sign an MoU on PM-SHRI, have taken a U-turn over non-disbursal of funds by the Centre for another scheme. The education ministry says states cannot receive funds unless they implement all objectives of PM-SHRI

Amidst the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 debate in Parliament, non-NDA states – Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal – have upped the ante against the Central government’s PM-Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, after they stated that their funds were withheld for a larger school programme — Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

While both Tamil Nadu and Kerala had agreed last year in writing to sign an MoU, the two state governments later backtracked.

The education sector has taken precedence in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, which has seen protests and walkouts by Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK party over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and PM-SHRI in their state.

Why Did Tamil Nadu, Kerala Take A U-Turn?

Exactly a year ago at this time, in a letter dated March 15, 2024, to the Department of School Education, Tamil Nadu had expressed its willingness to sign the MoU for establishing PM-SHRI schools in the state. The letter stated that Tamil Nadu will sign the MoU before the beginning of the academic year 2024-25. It also requested the department to release the second instalment for the financial year 2023-24.

TN education minister had in February said it is yet to receive funds to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore under the SSA programme for 2024-25 as well as the last tranche of Rs 249 crore under the scheme for 2023-24.

In a communication that followed, Tamil Nadu proposed to the education ministry that while it was ready to implement the PM-SHRI scheme, the prefix ‘PM’ be removed from the MoU. The request was turned down by the ministry.

The state government had also proposed that the Centre releases the funds, barring the amount allocated for PM-SHRI. This, too, was turned down by the Centre, saying since funds under SSA are meant for the entire funding for school education, of which PM-SHRI is a part, the state cannot receive the funds unless they implement all objectives under the said programme.

Similarly, in a letter dated March 30,2024, Kerala too had indicated its willingness to sign the MoU after funds to it had been stopped by the Centre for the 2023-24 financial year, which still remain withheld.

In the letter addressed to the school education secretary, the Kerala government said it will sign the MoU before the 2024-25 academic session begins. In the letter, it also requested the ministry to release the 37.5% of the fund sanctioned for 2023-24.

However, despite having given the undertaking to the ministry, the funds were still withheld to the state on technical grounds, prompting the state to take a U-turn.

It was also reported that following the non-disbursal of funds in December, the state education committee, looking at all aspects of the MoU, raised concerns on how PM-SHRI went against the state’s policy on public education, particularly, after the Centre’s recent revisions to school textbooks and the growing apprehension that once the state accepts PM-SHRI, it will have to implement all provisions under the NEP. This would mean that the state schools will then have to teach a different syllabus or it will create two categories of syllabus in its schools, which will not help the students.

Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala view the denial of funds under SSA, 40% of which is contributed by the states and 60% by the Centre, as “arm-twisting” to make them accept the scheme.

Education is a subject in the concurrent list with states having the major responsibility of providing quality school education.

West Bengal Was Never On The Same Page

The West Bengal government under Mamata Banerjee had been at loggerheads with the Centre over several schemes, including the NEP. It had outrightly refused to implement the PM-SHRI scheme.

Minister of State (MoS) for education Sukanta Majumdar responding to a question on the state joining the PM-SHRI scheme in a written reply in Parliament on March 10 said West Bengal is yet to sign an MoU for the same.

“Despite multiple reminders from the Central Govt & Education Ministry (on Sep 15, 2022, Feb 6, 2023, Mar 13, 2023, Oct 9, 2023, Feb 23, 2024, and Mar 7, 2024), the TMC govt has REFUSED to sign a single MoU for the scheme,” the MoS posted on X after protests in Parliament over the scheme on March 11.

The ministry had stopped disbursing funds to the state for not participating in the central sector scheme from July 2024. It had withheld funds for three Opposition-ruled states — Delhi (then ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), West Bengal and Punjab — for refusing to implement PM-SHRI.

While Delhi and Punjab buckled down in October due to fund crunch and signed the MoU, West Bengal has taken its own sweet time.

What Is The SSA-PM-SHRI Link?

SSA is an overarching programme for school education to implement the Right to Education (RTE), Act 2009. The 60% of funds contributed by the Centre includes funding for teachers’ salaries, infrastructure and all other major expenses for running state government schools.

SSA was designed in 2018 by the BJP government while the NEP was launched in 2020. The SSA was aligned with the NEP in 2021. A draft regarding this alignment was shared with all states, none of whom had objected to it then. But in 2022, the PM-SHRI scheme was announced and incorporated under the SSA. The Centre asked the states to confirm their participation in the scheme by signing the MoU, which prompted concerns among several Opposition-ruled states.

The PM-SHRI scheme aims to develop model schools that provide leadership to other schools in every block in each district across the country. The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2022, seeking to develop 14,500 PM-SHRI schools across India, which will showcase each of the objectives envisaged in the NEP, 2020.