The ongoing discord within Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme is approaching resolution, as the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) have agreed to temporarily suspend its implementation. This development follows intense negotiations prompted by the CPI's initial opposition to the scheme, which it views as an extension of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, perceived to impose centralization and ideological influences on the state's education system.
The CPI had demanded a complete withdrawal from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Union government, citing the absence of prior consultations with the Cabinet or LDF partners. However, recognizing the practical challenges of unilateral termination—particularly the risk of forfeiting substantial central funding, including Rs 1,446 crore for school education—the parties have opted for a compromise. The state government will formally request relaxations from the Centre, effectively pausing all related procedures until clarifications are received, thereby addressing the CPI's concerns while safeguarding fiscal interests.
In a significant concession, CPI ministers, who had announced a boycott of the Wednesday cabinet meeting to press their demands, will now participate following the agreement. This decision averts a potential public rift at a sensitive time, coinciding with local body elections and broader LDF coordination efforts. The CPI's stance underscores its commitment to resisting what it describes as "communalising, centralising, and commercialising" elements in education, drawing parallels to Kerala's earlier resistance alongside states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
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The resolution emerged from a CPI(M) secretariat meeting at the AKG Centre, attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, party secretary M.V. Govindan, and LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan, where the strategy to seek Union relaxations was finalized. A bilateral dialogue between CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, alongside leaders Sathyan Mokeri and P.P. Suneer, and their CPI(M) counterparts is scheduled imminently to formalize the accord. This follows an inconclusive summit on October 27, highlighting the urgency to maintain coalition unity amid financial pressures from withheld Samagra Shiksha funds.
To further scrutinize the MoU, the LDF plans to convene an emergency meeting and establish a Cabinet sub-committee for a comprehensive review, exploring alternatives to secure obligatory central allocations without compromising state autonomy. This step reflects a tactical retreat by the CPI(M), which had signed the MoU on October 23 to unlock Rs 456 crore in arrears, yet now prioritizes alliance cohesion. The sub-committee's composition remains a point of discussion, with the CPI advocating balanced representation to ensure impartial evaluation.
As Kerala navigates this episode, the agreement reinforces the LDF's ideological vigilance against perceived central encroachments, potentially setting a precedent for federal-state negotiations on education. While the freeze provides interim relief, the outcome of the Centre's response and the sub-committee's findings will determine long-term implementation, underscoring the delicate balance between fiscal pragmatism and political principles in the state's governance framework.
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