New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) The Ministry of Education will write to the Chief Secretaries of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, urging them to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at earliest for implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme in state-run schools, sources said.
The move follows recent Assembly election results that have reshaped the political landscape in both states, with the Centre expressing renewed optimism over the rollout of key education initiatives linked to the National Education Policy 2020.
According to senior official in Ministry of Education, letters will be sent “today or tomorrow” seeking early adoption of the PM SHRI scheme, under which selected schools are to be developed as model institutions aligned with 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 official said.
Earlier, the governments in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the DMK respectively, had not joined the centrally sponsored scheme and had not signed the required MoU with the Centre.
Officials said that implementation of the PM SHRI scheme may become smoother in West Bengal following recent electoral developments, while the situation in Tamil Nadu remains uncertain after C. Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged victorious in the Assembly polls.
The PM SHRI scheme aims to develop over 14,500 schools across the country as model institutions aligned with the vision of NEP 2020.
The issue had earlier led to friction between the Centre and several opposition-ruled states over education funding. The Union government had paused or withheld release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi and Punjab during the 2024-25 financial year after they did not sign the MoU for PM SHRI implementation.
The Centre has maintained that signing the MoU is necessary to access funds under the PM SHRI framework, while opposition parties have alleged that education grants were being linked to acceptance of NEP and centrally sponsored schemes.
The senior official also said that the ministry is also set to roll out a mental health policy at the school level and place it in the public domain soon.
“We will be putting it in the public domain very shortly,” an official said, adding that it is likely to be released in the first week of June.
“A child’s mental health is influenced not only by school but also by the home environment. Therefore, it is essential for all to come together and regularly review the child’s academic and overall progress,” he said.
The policy is expected to focus on strengthening mental health support systems in schools, including counselling and early identification of stress among students. PTI KSH NB NB
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