Centre hopeful of PM SHRI rollout in W Bengal, Tamil Nadu; to write to states soon

Sources in the Ministry of Education told ANI that letters will be sent to the Chief Secretaries of both states, urging them to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the earliest for rolling out the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme in state-run schools.

"The Centre is hopeful that the states will now implement the PM SHRI scheme. Letters will be sent to the Chief Secretaries for early implementation," a senior official said.

The move follows recent Assembly election results, which have changed the political landscape in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Officials believe this could ease the rollout of key education schemes linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government and the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government had refused to join the centrally sponsored scheme and did not sign the required MoU.

Sources said the ministry will also ask West Bengal to implement the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme, which focuses on adult literacy and lifelong learning.

In Kerala, the Centre is expected to push for revival of the PM SHRI agreement. The state had signed an MoU with the Union government on October 23, 2025, but later put the agreement on hold.

Officials said implementation may become smoother in West Bengal after the BJP's electoral victory in the state. However, the situation in Tamil Nadu remains uncertain after actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won the Assembly elections.

The PM SHRI scheme aims to develop more than 14,500 schools across the country as model institutions aligned with the vision of NEP 2020.

The issue had earlier led to a standoff between the Centre and several opposition-ruled states over education funding. The Union government had withheld or paused the release of Samagra Shiksha funds to states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi, and Punjab during the 2024-25 financial year after they refused to sign the MoU.

The Centre maintained that signing the MoU was necessary to access funds under the PM SHRI framework, while opposition parties accused the Union government of linking education grants to acceptance of NEP and centrally driven schemes. (ANI)