The Kerala government on Wednesday said it will continue with the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme despite its objections to certain aspects of the programme, with Chief Minister V D Satheesan saying the state is effectively compelled to remain part of it because the previous government had already signed the agreement and received central funds. At the same time, he insisted that the Centre “should not interfere with curriculum freedom”.Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan said Kerala wants the authority to decide its curriculum and select the schools where the scheme is implemented. He also announced the formation of a four-member cabinet sub-committee to study the issue and communicate the state’s position to the Centre.“The government’s ideological objection to the scheme is that the Central Government should not interfere with curriculum freedom. The state government should have the authority to select the schools where the scheme is to be implemented,” he said.The committee will be headed by General Education Minister N Samsudheen and will include ministers Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh and M Liju. According to the chief minister, the panel will examine all matters related to the PM SHRI scheme and submit its report to the government.“The previous government had signed on to the PM SHRI scheme, and the Kerala government is now a participant in it. More than Rs 99 crore has already been received from the Centre under the scheme, including funds that had previously been withheld,” he added and said that another Rs 106 crore has been sanctioned for the state under the scheme.The PM SHRI scheme is a centrally sponsored initiative aimed at developing selected government schools across the country. The issue had triggered political controversy in Kerala during the previous LDF government’s tenure, with opposition from sections of the ruling alliance at the time.
