Centre hopeful of PM SHRI rollout in Bengal, Tamil Nadu; letters to be sent soon

PTI, May 6, 2026, New Delhi: 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 the 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 officials, 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 indicated that implementation of the PM SHRI scheme could 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 exemplar institutions showcasing the implementation 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.