Thiruvananthapuram | Former Kerala general education minister V Sivankutty on Wednesday accused the UDF government of facilitating the "saffronisation" of the education sector by attempting to move ahead with the Centre's PM SHRI scheme and urged it to abandon the move.
In a statement, the CPI(M) leader alleged that the state government's reported move to write to the Centre through a cabinet sub-committee regarding the scheme amounted to paving the way for the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Kerala.
Claiming that the PM SHRI scheme was linked to the Sangh Parivar's agenda, Sivankutty alleged that the Congress-led government had adopted a contradictory stand, recalling that the party leaders had earlier criticised the LDF government over the same scheme.
He urged the government not to compromise the state's educational rights for a scheme that, according to him, would benefit only 265 schools in Kerala and had a limited duration and financial allocation.
The former minister also alleged that the previous LDF government had suspended the implementation of the memorandum of understanding related to the scheme after deciding to examine concerns over its implementation through a cabinet committee.
Sivankutty further claimed that the Centre was withholding over Rs 1,158 crore due to Kerala under the Samagra Shiksha scheme and accused it of linking the release of funds to the implementation of the NEP.
He urged the UDF government not to yield to the Centre's pressure and to drop any move to proceed with the PM SHRI scheme.
Last month, the Kerala government constituted a four-member cabinet sub-committee to examine the PM SHRI scheme and communicate the state's stand to the Centre. The panel comprises ministers N Samsudheen, Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh and M Liju.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan had then said the Centre cannot interfere with the state's freedom to decide its curriculum and that Kerala should also have the authority to select the schools where the scheme would be implemented.
