Kerala: The Union Ministry of Education has firmly rejected the claims made by the Kerala government regarding the implementation of the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme. Responding to a query raised by a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Minister of State for Education set the record straight, countering the state government’s narrative surrounding the central initiative.
The Ministry clarified that the PM SHRI scheme has not been operationalized in Kerala, noting that apart from signing the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), no state-run public school has actually been selected under the program. Currently, all 47 schools featured on the PM SHRI list within Kerala belong exclusively to the Central Government, such as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Because the state government failed to complete the required selection process and execute the scheme, the Ministry confirmed that no PM SHRI funds have been disbursed to Kerala’s public schools. The Centre clarified that it has only released 99.27 crore rupees to the state as part of its Right to Education (RTE) share under the broader Samagra Shiksha scheme. Kerala’s failure to implement the project has effectively stalled the flow of key educational grants from the Centre. As the state risks losing out on substantial central funding due to these delays, the issue has quickly escalated into a fiery political controversy between the ruling government and the opposition.
