Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre has asked the Kerala government to take a decision on the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme at the earliest, General Education Minister N Samsudheen said on Friday.

Samsudheen said the state received a letter from the Union Education Secretary to the Chief Secretary two or three days ago regarding the implementation of the scheme. The government will discuss the matter before taking a decision, he said.

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"The letter from the Union Education Secretary to our Chief Secretary states that a decision must be taken at the earliest so that the remaining schemes can move forward. It has been two or three days since it was received. We will discuss it in this context," he told reporters.

The minister said Kerala's position on the scheme would be made clear after the discussions.

"I cannot make a statement on my own. The Chief Minister, along with our UDF leadership, will decide, and the CM will make the announcement," he said.

Samsudheen said there were differing views on the PM SHRI scheme in Kerala and that the government's reservations remained.

"Our opposition to it on behalf of the entire UDF was stated even before the elections. We still hold reservations about it today. Therefore, its details need to be examined further," he said.

The previous LDF government had signed an MoU with the Union government for implementing the PM SHRI scheme. However, the agreement was later kept in abeyance following criticism within the LDF and protests by the UDF.
Also read | PM Shri and NEP: Why Kerala must use its right to withdraw

After the UDF government came to power, it appointed a Cabinet subcommittee to examine the matter and recommend whether Kerala should proceed with the scheme or withdraw from it.

The Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme aims to upgrade 14,500 schools and is expected to benefit around 1.8 million students. It also seeks to develop these schools as model institutions reflecting the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

(With PTI inputs)