New Delhi

The Union government is preparing to renew its efforts to secure the implementation of the PM SHRI school programme in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with officials expressing optimism following recent political developments in both states.

Sources in the Ministry of Education said the Centre will shortly write to the chief secretaries of the two states, urging them to sign the required Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) so that the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme can be introduced in government-run schools.

A senior ministry official said the Centre is hopeful that the changed political circumstances may pave the way for quicker adoption of the programme and that formal communication will soon be sent seeking early action.

Officials said the initiative comes in the wake of assembly election outcomes in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, which have altered the political equation and may help in implementing education initiatives linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Earlier, the governments led by the All India Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu had declined to join the centrally sponsored scheme and had not signed the mandatory agreement.

According to sources, the ministry also plans to ask West Bengal to adopt the ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) programme, aimed at promoting adult education and lifelong learning.

In Kerala, the Centre is expected to pursue revival of the PM SHRI arrangement after the state, which had signed an MoU with the Union government in October 2025, later put the agreement on hold.

Officials believe implementation in West Bengal may become easier following the BJP’s recent electoral success in the state. However, the situation in Tamil Nadu remains uncertain after C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged victorious in the Assembly elections.

The PM SHRI initiative aims to transform more than 14,500 schools across India into model institutions aligned with the objectives of NEP 2020.

The issue had earlier triggered disagreements between the Centre and several opposition-ruled states over education funding. The Union government had either withheld or delayed release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha programme to states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi, and Punjab during the 2024–25 financial year after they declined to sign the PM SHRI agreement.

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While the Centre maintained that the MoU was essential for accessing funds under the scheme, opposition parties had accused the Union government of tying education grants to acceptance of the NEP and other centrally driven reforms.