The Ministry of Education will write to the Chief Secretaries of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, urging them to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme in state-run schools at the earliest, sources in the ministry told CNN-News18.
The move comes in the wake of recent Assembly election results, which have altered the political landscape in some states, prompting the Centre to express fresh hope over the implementation of key education schemes linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to senior ministry officials, letters will be sent “today or tomorrow” or in a day or so, to the two states seeking early adoption of the PM SHRI scheme,
under which selected schools are developed as model institutions aligned with the vision of NEP 2020.
“We are hopeful that now states will implement the PM SHRI scheme. We will write to the state chief secretaries for implementation of the PM SHRI Scheme,” a senior ministry official said.
The previous governments in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu — led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the DMK respectively — had refused to join the centrally sponsored scheme and did not sign the required MoU with the Centre.
Sources said the ministry will also ask the West Bengal government to implement the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme aimed at promoting adult literacy and lifelong learning.
In Kerala too, the Centre is expected to push for the revival of the PM SHRI agreement. The state had signed an MoU with the Union government on October 23, 2025, to join the scheme, but later put the agreement on hold.
Officials believe implementation of the PM SHRI scheme could now 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) emerged victorious in the Assembly polls.
The PM SHRI scheme was launched by the Centre to develop more than 14,500 schools across the country as exemplar institutions showcasing the implementation of NEP 2020.
The issue had also triggered a confrontation between the Centre and several opposition-ruled states over education funding. The Union government had withheld or paused 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 for PM SHRI implementation.
The Centre had maintained that signing the MoU was necessary for states to access funds under the PM SHRI framework, while several opposition parties accused the Union government of linking education grants to acceptance of the NEP and centrally driven schemes.
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