Not easy for Kerala to withdraw from PM Shri Scheme, Centre has to take final decision 

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Education said they are not aware of Kerala's decision to review the implementation of the PM Shri Scheme. The officials of the ministry said further action will be taken after getting a clarity. However, it is not easy for Kerala to withdraw from PA Shri Scheme. The Centre should take the final decision. If Kerala decides to withdraw, the Centre can stop the funds for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

As per the provisions of MoU over PM Shri, only the union ministry of education and the department of school education have the authority to cancel and withdraw the agreement. The Centre had stopped the funds for the SSA after Punjab informed withdrawal from PM Shri. Punjab had expressed their willingness to join the scheme on July 26, 2024, after Rs 515 crore was withheld. The state government cannot unilaterally withdraw from the scheme, except by temporarily suspending the PM Shri agreement.

The Kerala government had decided to write to the Centre to temporarily freeze the MoU and to form a cabinet sub-committee to study the rules of the scheme in detail. The sub-committee is headed by Education Minister V Sivankutty and includes Ministers K Rajan, P Prasad, Roshi Augustine, P Rajeev, A K Saseendran and K Krishnankutty. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said in a press meet that the review is about the implementation of the scheme and that the state will not proceed with the implementation of the PM Shri scheme until the sub-committee report is received and will inform the central government.