Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on Wednesday said that the CPI’s concerns over the state’s participation in the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme would be discussed within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), then only an appropriate political decision would be taken.

Cherian said that as soon as the CPI raised its objections, General Education Minister V Sivankutty personally met the CPI state leadership to explain the circumstances that led his department to sign the MoU.

“As a Communist party functioning in the LDF, the CPI has its own concerns in the matter, and the CPM is not belittling it,” Cherian said. “Some more clarity needs to be made on the matter. The CPI wants a clear decision. This will be discussed politically, and we will go ahead after taking an appropriate decision,” he added.

Justifying the state’s stance, Cherian said Kerala had decided not to approach the court against the PM SHRI scheme, unlike Tamil Nadu. He explained that the neighbouring state, despite being financially stronger, had not received any Central funds under the scheme after filing a legal challenge.

“It has already been made clear that the LDF government is not going to implement any of the educational policies of the BJP government at the Centre,” Cherian asserted, adding that education falls under the Concurrent List, giving states authority over syllabus and curriculum design.

The Left parties, including the CPI and CPM, have consistently opposed the National Education Policy (NEP) and the PM SHRI scheme, calling them part of the RSS’s larger agenda to influence India’s education system.

The CPI maintains that the MoU was signed without Cabinet consultation, and the party only came to know about it through media reports. However, Education Minister V Sivankutty clarified that the agreement was signed solely to access Central education funds and assured that Kerala’s school curriculum would remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, the CPM and the state government have initiated moves to temporarily suspend the MoU. This decision is seen as part of a final attempt to accommodate the CPI. The state government will write to the Centre seeking a relaxation in the project, and the project will remain suspended until a response is received from the Centre.

(With PTI inputs)