On Wednesday, the state executive of the Communist Party of India (CPI) reportedly considered the political “pros and cons” of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s “bid” to secure a substantial PM-SHRI allocation for school education by signing up to a scheme the ruling front ally sees as inextricably linked to the Centre’s (NE) “anti-federal” national education policy and response.
A CPI insider said the chief executive should be careful that the LDF does not fall for the Centre’s “NEP bait”.
He said that PM-SHRI’s commitment would implicitly signal adherence to the NEP, which violates federalism and at once negates cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity by seeking to centralize school education.
“It is inaccurate to compare PM-SHRI with comparable federal allocations for health and agriculture, which also come with specific conditions that seek to politically favor dispositions at the center,” he added.
Notably, the CPI ministers met Mr. Viswam during his residency ahead of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, fueling political intrigue. However, a party insider called the meeting “in front of the Cabinet” “routine”.
Moreover, neither the CPI nor the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed media reports, citing anonymous sources, that party ministers had conveyed their “disquiet” about PM-SHRI in a cabinet meeting and later personally to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Official sources said it was customary for ministers to meet Mr. Vijayan after Cabinet meetings and there was no reason to read any adverse political connotations into such routine interactions.
‘No Disunity’
Meanwhile, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam sought to dispel the notion that the party’s apprehension over joining the PMI-SHRI signaled ideological and political disunity in the LDF in a crucial election year.
Mr. Viswam told reporters that the CPI and the CPI(M) were on the same page in terms of their shared informed political opposition to the NEP. “CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby has stated the same,” he said.
(On Tuesday, Mr. Baby emphasized that the government should negotiate with the Center on PM-SHRI funds without compromising on the NEP.)
Mr. Viswam emphasized that the implementation of the “anti-federal NEP” is the “central pillar” of the PM-SHRI scheme and that there is no middle ground. He also questioned the wisdom of signing up for PM-SHRI, which was due to expire in 2027.
Mr. Viswam noted that the PM-SHRI had no retrospective effect and any allocation of funds was linked to the States submitting utilization certificates and Kerala would receive only a negligible amount.
Published – 22 Oct 2025 20:29 IST
