Keralam should not drag its feet on joining PM SHRI, says BJP leader R. Sreelekha

The Keralam government should not drag its feet on joining the PM SHRI project over political differences and if the State opts out of the scheme, it will lose crores of rupees, R. Sreelekha, State vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said here on Saturday (September 5, 2026).The government, which has completed 100 days in office, continues to show negligence towards the scheme due to political differences and appears to be moving towards withdrawing from the PM SHRI scheme, Ms. Sreelekha said. Alleging that the State General Education department is fully in the hands of the Muslim League, she said that many Congress leaders were demanding that the scheme be implemented in Keralam.Keralam will receive crores of rupees in Central assistance if it joins the scheme. Regardless of political differences or ideology, the development of the State should not be hampered, she said, adding that Keralam would be at a significant disadvantage if other non-BJP States went ahead with the schemeCurrently, around 47 government schools in Keralam are functioning under the scheme, with major changes taking place in those institutions, including Kendriya Vidyalayas. PM SHRI was introduced as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. There are reports that the duration of the scheme may be extended until September 2027. Therefore, Ms. Sreelekha said that disputes over the name or duration of the scheme should not be cited as reasons for withdrawing from it.The government is merely offering reasons for not implementing the scheme, while the facilities and opportunities that children should receive are being lost as a result, she said. The future of children should not be compromised in the name of politics, Ms. Sreelekha said, adding that the BJP’s position was that Keralam should be a partner in the PM SHRI scheme. Published - September 05, 2026 07:05 pm IST