Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty said on Thursday that he should not be held responsible if the Centre withholds funds for the state's schools, as a rift between the ruling allies--CPI(M) and CPI--over PM SHRI Schools scheme remains unresolved.

Speaking to reporters about his recent meeting with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sivankutty said their 45-minute discussion was not about PM SHRI but about the delay in releasing funds under other central schemes.

According to the minister, under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) programme, the state has received Rs 92.41 crore while Rs 1,066.36 crore remains pending.

Under the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) programme, Rs 212.63 crore is yet to be received, and around Rs 12 crore is pending under the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (JANMAN) programme.

"I am apprehensive about the pending amount from the central government. If the remaining fund under SSK is not received, as the education minister, I am not responsible for it. Those who are responsible should take the responsibility," Sivankutty said.

He said that in the last four-and-a-half years, no RSS agenda has been allowed to influence the education sector in Kerala.

"I am not commenting on who protested against the RSS agenda on the national front. This is not the time for that since civic polls are approaching," he said.

Sivankutty said he came to know that some groups were claiming to be the only ones defending the Left front and countering RSS influence in Kerala’s education sector, calling such claims misleading.

He said the state government has consistently acted against RSS influence in education and taken necessary action when such cases were noticed in CBSE schools under the central government.

Referring to an article written by CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam suggesting that LDF’s political stance led to Kerala’s letter to the Centre against PM SHRI, the minister said, "By reading the article, it is clear who it points to. We are not fools."

When asked about any rift with CPI, Sivankutty said he has affection for the ally party.

"I have only stated the reality. I have not criticised anyone or taken names," he said.

He added that a committee formed to review PM SHRI has a crucial role.

"The committee will meet soon, take the opinion of all its members, and decide which parts of PM SHRI should be avoided. Later, a report will be submitted to the chief minister," he said.

Sivankutty clarified that the PM SHRI scheme has been kept in abeyance and not withdrawn.

Responding to Sivankutty’s remarks, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam on Thursday said he did not understand why the minister was provoked.

Viswam said that as the state secretary of CPI, he was not ready for any provocation and his political awareness did not allow it.

"All should have that political awareness," he added.

He said he was not someone to teach Sivankutty about the PM SHRI scheme.

"It is CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan who are apt to teach Sivankutty about Left politics on PM SHRI," he said.

Viswam said the PM SHRI and National Education Policy (NEP) are interconnected and part of an attempt to implement the RSS agenda.

"There are CPI(M) leaders here to explain that," he added.

He said he did not believe Sivankutty lacked political awareness, describing him as a respected leader, a good friend, and an able education minister. "I am not ready to belittle Sivankutty," he said.

Viswam said PM SHRI and SSK are not the same as claimed by the BJP.

"Under the Right to Education Act, we have every right to receive SSK funds. This is CPI’s stand, and I hope it is the same for the LDF," he said.

He said that if the Centre denies SSK funds citing the PM SHRI scheme, the Left front should counter it politically and legally.

Viswam clarified that CPI never took credit for the state government’s decision to keep PM SHRI on hold.

"We have not judged it as a victory or defeat. We called it the LDF’s victory — a political victory of the LDF along with teachers and student associations who protested against PM SHRI," he said.

He added that the CPI was not ready to be provoked.

"Even if my dear friend Sivankutty says something, the CPI will not be provoked at this time. For CPI, the LDF’s victory is what matters," he said.

Viswam said the committee formed to review PM SHRI in Kerala has its importance.

"Sivankutty, who is the convenor of the committee, should be aware of it. We in CPI will not say or do anything that disturbs LDF’s political unity and its success," he said.

READ MORE: Delhi blast: The silent rise of Islamic radicalisation threatens India

In 2020, the Centre announced the PM-SHRI scheme, which aims to upgrade existing schools into institutions aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, supported by funds from the central and state governments in a 60:40 ratio. The Union Cabinet approved the scheme in September 2022.