He further added that CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas acted as a key mediator between the Centre and the state.
Published Dec 03, 2025 | 9:16 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 03, 2025 | 9:16 PM
PM SHRI. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Responding to queries in the Upper House, Pradhan said the Kerala Education Department had conveyed its full consent to join the PM SHRI initiative and that the MoU was signed with the complete knowledge and approval of the state government.
A fresh twist has emerged in the controversy over CPI(M) led Kerala Government signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Centre’s PM SHRI school scheme, which has now been freezed, with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, 3 December, that the state had initially agreed to the project.
He further added that CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas acted as a key mediator between the Centre and the state.
Responding to queries in the Upper House, Pradhan said the Kerala Education Department had conveyed its full consent to join the PM SHRI initiative and that the MoU was signed with the complete knowledge and approval of the state government.
He further stated that Kerala’s Education Minister had personally met him to express support for the scheme.
“What happened later is unknown to me. It appears that internal disputes within the state government have prevented the project from being implemented,” Pradhan remarked, accusing the state of creating the present confusion.
The Union Minister’s revelation contradicts the narrative put forward by the Kerala government, which has been asserting that the Centre attempted to impose conditions that undermined federal principles.
Pradhan, however, dismissed such allegations and congratulated John Brittas for facilitating discussions.
Outside Parliament, Brittas confirmed his engagement with the Centre on the matter.
“What the Union Minister said is true. I have met him many times and raised Kerala’s concerns. I am happy that he acknowledged that I took up the issue,” Brittas told reporters.
However, he clarified that he did not mediate the actual signing of the MoU.
“My role was limited to communication. I was not a mediator in the agreement,” he added.
The PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme aims to upgrade select schools across the country into model institutions, but Kerala has remained one of the few states that refused to operationalize the project, citing ideological and administrative concerns.
But later it backtracked from that stance and signed the agreement in a discreet way causing tension in the Left front.
The CPI(M) later had to sent a letter to the ministry asking it to freeze the agreement.
With Pradhan’s remarks, the controversy has gained renewed political heft, setting the stage for another round of CPI- CPI(M) confrontation.
The General Education Minister is yet to officially respond to the latest assertions made in the Parliament.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
