Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Secretary’s office has prepared a letter to the Union Ministry of Education, informing it that a cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to review the conditions of the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. The letter, which will be dispatched shortly, also states that the project will remain on hold until the committee submits its report.

Kerala is yet to begin the process of selecting schools for the scheme, as no follow-up instructions have been received from the Centre despite the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The initial step involves publishing a list of schools that meet the prescribed criteria. Only these schools will be eligible to apply for inclusion under the scheme. A state-appointed committee will then finalise the schools where the project will be implemented.

CPI leader raises doubts
CPI Central Secretariat member K Prakash Babu has argued that only the Centre has the authority to scrap or freeze the PM SHRI MoU. In an article written in Janayugam daily after the Chief Minister's announcement on freezing the PM SHRI scheme, he expressed doubts about the feasibility of such a move.

Babu pointed out that the Union Ministry of Education must issue a 30-day notice to terminate or freeze the project. He described the clause granting unilateral authority to one party as “undemocratic and legally unsound.”

He further noted that the disagreement over signing the MoU without prior consultation was resolved through the Chief Minister’s intervention. CPM Polit Bureau member MA Baby remained in the state to hold discussions with the CPM and CPI state secretaries and the CPI general secretary, leading to an amicable settlement.

“These timely interventions helped convey to the public that the LDF remains committed to advancing Leftist politics,” Babu wrote.

“The Cabinet has decided to freeze follow-up actions under the MoU and halt the implementation of PM SHRI in Kerala. The state has the right to do so. However, as per the agreement’s terms, only the Centre can formally scrap or freeze the MoU — a flawed provision,” he added.

Centre blocks promised fund
Meanwhile, the Centre has withheld the first instalment of dues promised under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) scheme, just days after the state government decided to freeze PM SHRI procedures.

Following the MoU signing, SSK had submitted necessary documents to the Union Ministry of Education for the release of the first instalment — ₹319 crore — which was expected on Wednesday.

However, after media reports on the state’s decision to freeze the project, the fund release was stalled even before the Centre received official communication of the move.

During earlier discussions in Delhi, it was agreed that pending dues amounting to ₹970 crore since 2023 would be released once Kerala sign the PM SHRI scheme.