Latest news with #PM-SHRI
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kerala Education Minister: ‘Some parts of NEP are good… (but) it is now a BJP programme. That is our main problem'
Alleging that the Centre owes Kerala over Rs 1,000 crore funds for various education-related schemes, Kerala General Education Minister and CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty has said that the LDF-led state government would also, like the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, move the court against the Centre in the matter. The Tamil Nadu government recently moved the Supreme Court, accusing the BJP-led Centre of not releasing its share under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, a key school education programme that ensures funds for implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The Centre and the states contribute funds for this scheme in the 60:40 ratio. The Centre has not released the Samagra Shiksha funds to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal on the ground that these states have yet to implement the PM-SHRI scheme, which seeks to develop selected schools to showcase the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In an interview with The Indian Express, Sivankutty speaks on a range of issues related to these rows, spelling out Kerala's stand on them. Excerpts: These are Samagra Shiksha funds. They (Centre) are saying that they are withholding Samagra Shiksha funds because the PM-SHRI scheme is not being implemented in the state. Kerala is supposed to receive money from the central government under the centrally sponsored scheme for general education. This amounts to a pending amount of Rs 188.58 crore for 2023-24, Rs 513.54 crore for 2024-25, and Rs 440.34 crore that has been approved for 2025-26. This adds up to a total of Rs 1,142.46 crore. Additionally, Rs 318 crore is expected as Kerala's share for the PM-SHRI scheme for the 2025-27 period. Totally, Kerala should receive Rs 1460.46 crore. Kerala has utilised the state share of Samagra Shiksha, which is 40% of the outlay, for essential expenditure like RTE entitlements, textbooks, and salaries. But there are some commitments, like funding for scholarships for children with special needs, uniforms, and school grants that are pending. Last year, the state government provided Rs 20 crore to pay salaries. We are hopeful of changing the Centre's mindset… a change in favour of Kerala. If the Centre sticks to its stand of denying funds that are the state's right, we will have to seek other means to safeguard the rights of children. Ours is a federal country… all children are ours. You cannot deprive funds to students from a few states. It is a politically-motivated move that is affecting children. I spoke to the Tamil Nadu Education Minister and their situation is similar. They have more funds…they have provided for this amount of around Rs 2000 crore in their budget. Since it is two different states, we will have to file (a suit) separately. We have spoken with senior advocates, and will take the matter to court. We are hopeful that the court, which protects the Constitution, will give protection in this matter. The RTE Act says that the Centre is to provide funds. For the PM-SHRI scheme, the Centre insists on an MoU that specifies implementation of the NEP, and the state is not in favour of this. The issue here is that earlier education was in the State List, and now it is in the Concurrent List. The BJP at the Centre has a political stand. It is based on this political stand that they have removed certain aspects of history from textbooks. Of the steps that the Centre is taking, these in the field of education are serious ones. There is this matter of following the NEP. On the NEP and implementing new aspects in education…there should have been meetings with Education Ministers of the states, academics, experts. Our textbooks in Kerala have been prepared after discussions. There are parts of the NEP, which we would have to implement even if they were not in the NEP, simply because of the current circumstances. Many students from Kerala are studying abroad, and they are going for four-year programmes. Considering this, we had to introduce four-year programmes. I will not blindly say that it (NEP) is a complete failure. There are some parts of it that are good, and some parts that we don't agree with. We have the right to express dissent when it comes to the parts that we don't agree with. It is this dissent that we are registering. We have incorporated the positive parts of the NEP in the Kerala Curriculum Framework 2023. What we don't agree with is aspects of curriculum preparation, and imposing decisions that the Centre takes on education for the entire country. This is now an attempt to forcibly impose the Centre's policies. The NEP is now a BJP-sponsored programme. That is our main problem. Languages need to be taught, whether it is English or Hindi. But you cannot force a language on anyone.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will meet T.N. Education Minister soon on NEP: Sivankutty
Preliminary discussions have been held with the Tamil Nadu government that shares the State's concerns on the National Education Policy (NEP), Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said. On the directions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, discussions had been held over phone with Tamil Nadu Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, a statement from the Minister on Saturday said. A meeting had been planned with the Minister to draw up joint legal and policy strategies to protect States' rights in the sector of education. The meeting would take place in two weeks, the Minister said. The State, he said, would seek legal recourse against the Union government decision to deny it ₹1,500.27 crore under various Centrally sponsored education schemes, including PM-SHRI, The Union government was withholding the funds to press the State to sign the agreement for implementing PM-SHRI to develop schools that showcased the NEP. The State had communicated its concerns regarding the NEP to the Union government. These had also been shared with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at a recent meeting. Despite this, the Union government had not reconsidered its stance, the Minister said. The Supreme Court, in a recent verdict, had said that no State could be compelled to NEP. Against the backdrop of the fund denial and the apex court verdict, the State government was exploring legal options against the Union government decision.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
State mulling talks with T.N. over fund refusal by Centre
The government is exploring joining hands with Tamil Nadu on the issue of the Union government withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said. At a press conference here on Tuesday, the Minister said the State was mulling holding discussions with the Tamil Nadu Education Minister on the issue without delay. The Minister said he had held talks with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and taken part in the general council meeting of the National Council of Educational Research and Training. He expressed the State's demands and apprehensions, particularly in the wake of withholding of the Union government share of Centrally sponsored schemes. The Union government had withheld ₹1,500.27 crore due to the State. This included ₹514.54 crore due to the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala for 2024-25; ₹276 crore for 2023-24; ₹392.73 crore for 2025-26; and PM-SHRI share of ₹318 crore for 2025-26. The funds were not being sanctioned as the State had not signed the agreement for implementing the PM-SHRI scheme. However, the Union government was not informing the State of this in writing. The opinion of the Advocate General would also be sought in the matter, the Minister said.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sivankutty to meet Union Education Minister in New Delhi
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty will meet Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on May 2 to present the State's demands in the area of education. At a press conference here on Tuesday, the Minister said he would convey directly to Mr. Pradhan the State's objection to denial of funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme in the name of failure to sign the agreement for implementing the PM-SHRI scheme. General Education Principal Secretary Rani George, Director of General Education Shanavas S., State Council of Educational Research and Training Jayaprakash R.K., and Samagra Shiksha Kerala Project Director Supriya A.R. will accompany him. The Minister will also attend a meeting of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) general council meeting where he will raise the issue of changes made to textbooks by the NCERT in the name of their revision. The Minister had earlier alleged that this was a bid to saffronise education in the country. Training for teachers during the vacations will be held for five days from May 13 at various centres. Besides introducing them to new textbooks, training will be given to them as part of the anti-drug campaign of the government. Cluster meetings to be held later in the year will also feature training in anti-drug campaign. A mega Zumba display involving 1,500 students from select schools in Thiruvananthapuram district, teachers, and parents will be held at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium at 5 p.m. on Wednesday as part of the government efforts to include sports and arts education in the school curriculum with the wider aim of steering students away from drugs and violence. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event. Nearly 2,000 teachers had applied for the higher secondary general transfer within two days, Mr. Sivankutty said. The government had decided to form a committee comprising the General Education additional secretary, higher secondary senior administrative officer, and Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education chief executive officer to address teachers' complaints related to the transfer. Periods allotted for physical and art education in students' timetable will be used only for those activities from the new academic year, the Minister said. The Minister clarified that the results of the Lower and Upper Secondary Scholarship (LSS/USS) examinations had not been published contrary to the claims made by an Uttar Pradesh-based fraudulent organisation. A complaint had been given to the police in connection with the fake news that the LSS/USS results had been published on April 27. The results were being processed and would be published soon, he said.
