Thiruvananthapuram- In a dramatic policy reversal that has exposed deep fissures within Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and drawn sharp rebukes from the opposition Congress, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has greenlit the implementation of the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.

The move, aimed at upgrading 14,500 schools nationwide including 340 in Kerala, promises Rs 1,500 crore in central funding but has reignited debates over ideological compromises and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

While Congress leaders decry it as a capitulation to the BJP's "saffronisation" agenda, political observers highlight a striking irony: Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh had already begun rolling out NEP-aligned reforms during their tenures, often without the fanfare of opposition now.

The controversy erupted earlier this week when General Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced the state's decision to join PM SHRI, reversing a year-long standoff that led to frozen central funds and unpaid teacher salaries. Kerala had initially resisted the scheme in 2024, citing concerns over curriculum control and NEP's potential to impose a "centralised, Hindutva-tinted" education model. However, mounting financial pressures, exacerbated by the Centre withholding Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds, prompted the U-turn. "This is not about ideology but ensuring teachers get their dues and schools get infrastructure," Sivankutty clarified, emphasizing that Kerala would retain autonomy over syllabus and pedagogy.

The announcement triggered immediate backlash from LDF ally Communist Party of India (CPI), which accused Chief Minister Vijayan of buckling under pressure. CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam warned that PM SHRI's alignment with NEP would erode Kerala's progressive education framework, stating, "We cannot oppose NEP on one hand and accept PM SHRI on the other." Tensions within the LDF have simmered to the surface, with grassroots-level discord threatening alliance unity ahead of local body polls.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) leaders have also condemned the LDF's move. Congress MP K.C. Venugopal alleged a "BJP-CPI(M) deal" behind the controversy, questioning the Rs 1,400 crore allocation as a "bribe in the name of education." Senior Congress figures warned that the scheme aligns with the BJP's agenda, urging resistance to protect state sovereignty. However, this criticism highlights an inconsistency, as Congress-led governments in several states initiated NEP-aligned reforms during their tenures.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, Subhashini Ali, a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that the Congress, which is opposing the Kerala government's decision today, had shown active involvement in NEP implementation during its governments in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh.

In Rajasthan, under the Congress administration (2018-2023), a high-level committee was formed in 2023 to oversee NEP rollout, including curriculum restructuring. Post-2023, the BJP government unveiled a new primary school curriculum aligned with NEP for classes 1-5 in June 2025, building on prior efforts.

Chhattisgarh's Congress government (2018-2023) approved NEP reforms in 2022-2023, introducing competency-based assessments and multilingual education. In 2024, the state became the first to develop NEP-compliant textbooks for classes 1-3 and 6. A 2025 PARAKH report detailed ongoing NEP implementation.

Himachal Pradesh, under Congress Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu since 2022, advanced NEP adoption with a four-year undergraduate program in 2023 and school-level reforms. In September 2025, the state implemented a school complex system aligned with NEP, alongside UNESCO-supported climate education integration.

These implementations occurred despite initial Congress reservations about NEP's centralizing aspects, contrasting with the party's current stance against Kerala's PM SHRI participation.

The scheme aims for 15% national school coverage by 2030, with Kerala's inclusion potentially influencing other non-BJP states.