New Delhi: The Union government is preparing a fresh push to implement the PM SHRI schools scheme in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where the project has remained stalled.
Officials said letters will be sent soon to the Chief Secretaries of both states, urging them to sign the required memorandum of understanding (MoU) to begin implementation.
Under the National Education Policy framework, the PM SHRI initiative aims to upgrade 14,500 government schools across India. The scheme has already been rolled out in several northern states governed by the BJP and its allies.
In the past, parties ruling states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Punjab had opposed the move. With a change in government in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal after the recent Assembly elections, the Centre has renewed efforts to secure MoU signatures.
Officials expressed confidence that the scheme would be implemented in both states. Earlier, the Centre had withheld 2024–25 funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan from states that did not sign the MoU, while opposition parties have alleged that education funding is being used to pressure states into accepting central policies.
