Kerala's Stand-Off: PM SHRI Scheme Under Scrutiny

The Kerala government plans to review the PM SHRI scheme following controversies and criticisms, particularly from CPI, accusing it of promoting RSS agendas. A cabinet sub-committee will assess the matter further. Implementation pauses until the committee presents its findings, temporarily alleviating political stagnation within the Left front.

The Kerala government has decided to review the implementation of the Centre's PM SHRI scheme, following surfacing controversies and critiques, especially from the CPI, which contended the scheme's alignment with RSS agendas in the state's education sector. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced this on Wednesday.

In response, a seven-member cabinet sub-committee has been formed to thoroughly examine the scheme. This comes amidst debates within the Left alliance, particularly after CPI's objection to the state's signing of the MoU with the Centre without prior Cabinet discussions.

While initially justifying the MoU signing to secure central funds, the authorities have now decided to hold off further implementation until a comprehensive assessment is conducted. This decision, reaching an amicable intra-party resolution, was communicated to the Centre, as per the Chief Minister's briefing following a cabinet meeting.

(With inputs from agencies.)