Differences have emerged within the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state after the General Education Department of Kerala signed an agreement with the Central Government to join the PM Shree School Scheme. The move has been strongly criticized by the Left Front’s main ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI).
A day after the Education Department signed an MoU with the Central Government, CPI MP P. Santosh Kumar said the move was like shooting one in one’s own foot. He also said that only those who have signed the agreement should answer for it. Talking to the media, he said that CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby should be given a detailed explanation.
How did the controversy start?
The controversy started when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government decided to go ahead with the Centre’s plan without placing the issue before the state cabinet. The CPI (which had forced the government to back down twice earlier) accused its senior ally CPI(M) of ‘sidelining’ its alliance partners.
After months of hesitation, the government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to sign off on the PM Sree (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) project, bypassing the CPI’s objections.
Uneasiness among leaders due to necessity of installing boards
The scheme, under the National Education Policy (NEP) framework, aims to upgrade infrastructure in two schools in each block with central funding, with a provision of approximately Rs 1 crore per year for each school for five years. The CPI has warned that this move could pave the way for the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Kerala, which the Left has been opposing for a long time.
The requirement to put up boards marking institutions as PM Shree Schools has also created uneasiness among party leaders. With local and assembly elections approaching, the controversy has created a fresh rift in Kerala’s ruling Left alliance, raising questions about the unity within the front.
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