Kottayam (Kerala) | Kerala Congress (Mani) chairman and LDF ally Jose K Mani on Friday said there was no need for apprehension over the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme in the state, as the government would have a role in overseeing the project.
Speaking to reporters, Mani said the LDF government was open to addressing concerns raised by the public and its allies regarding the PM SHRI scheme and issues in the general education sector.
"Can Kerala afford to lose Rs 1,031 crore every year and nearly Rs 5,000 crore over five years by staying out of the project. Kerala Congress does not believe that just because this is a Central government scheme, it should be rejected. The state has control over its implementation, and this is for the next generation," he said.
Explaining the structure of the scheme, Mani said two schools from each block panchayat had been selected under PM SHRI, covering about 12,000 schools across the country with a total Central outlay of around Rs 20,000 crore. The scheme follows a 60:40 funding ratio between the Centre and the states, he added.
He said that despite Kerala's efforts to carry out development works independently over the past five years, the state was losing Central funds by not joining the scheme.
"In 2023–24, we received Rs 1,031 crore from the Centre under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). But in 2024–25, we received nothing as we did not sign on to the PM SHRI programme. Hundreds of schools are being denied the benefits of this project, and thousands of teachers under SSA are left in uncertainty," he said.
Mani suggested that the government examine whether any clauses in the PM SHRI scheme went against the state's interests. "The programme allows local adaptation after five years, including incorporating social reformers from the state into the curriculum," he noted.
Referring to Kerala's earlier decision to include sensitive topics such as the Babri mosque demolition and the Gujarat riots in its syllabus, Mani said the state "had the capacity to safeguard its academic autonomy."
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu's main objection related to the teaching of Hindi, while Congress-ruled Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh had already joined the scheme. "If there is any hidden agenda in the project, it can be dealt with through discussions. Kerala Congress believes that the entire project should not be dismissed over such concerns," he added.
