CURRENT AFFAIRS | 7 MAY 2026
CLAT GK + EDUCATION POLICY & CENTRE-STATE RELATIONS
After BJP’s electoral victories in West Bengal and its strengthened position vis-a-vis opposition states, the Centre has renewed its push for PM-SHRI — PM Schools for Rising India — in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala. These three states had refused or delayed signing MoUs with the Ministry of Education, citing concerns about NEP 2020’s implementation and the political optics of “PM” branding on schools. The new political landscape has changed the calculus.
For CLAT 2027 aspirants, PM-SHRI is significant not because of the scheme’s details but because of what it exemplifies: the constitutional tension between the Centre’s right to run national education programmes and the states’ historical claim over education. This tension became sharper after the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), which moved Education from the State List to the Concurrent List, and has never been fully resolved.
The scheme’s Rs 27,360 crore budget transforms existing government schools — both Central (Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas) and state schools — into NEP 2020-aligned model institutions. The Centre bears 60%, states bear 40%. For NE and hilly states, the ratio is 90:10 — a recognition of fiscal asymmetry that mirrors the broader special category state logic. Eighteen states and UTs have already signed MoUs; Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala were the major holdouts.
• Art. 21A — Right to free and compulsory education for children 6-14 years (inserted by 86th Amendment, 2002)
• 86th Constitutional Amendment, 2002 — Inserted Art. 21A; operationalised by Right to Education Act, 2009
• RTE Act, 2009 — Free and compulsory education; 25% reservation for EWS in private schools
• Concurrent List, Entry 25, Seventh Schedule — Education (moved from State List by 42nd Amendment, 1976)
• 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976 — Moved Education and Forests from State List to Concurrent List
• Art. 246 — Distribution of legislative powers; Parliament can legislate on Concurrent List subjects
• Art. 254 — In case of repugnancy between Central and State law on Concurrent List: Central law prevails
RC Passage Angle: CLAT loves passages that set up a state-Centre constitutional conflict and ask whether the Centre has the power to act. The PM-SHRI situation is perfect: a passage would describe a state refusing to join a Central education scheme, then ask — “Does the Centre have authority to run such a scheme in the state without state consent?” Answer: Partially — the Centre can run it in KV/NVs (Union subjects) but needs state cooperation for state government schools.
Constitutional Trap Question: “Education is a State subject — therefore PM-SHRI requires state consent.” This is WRONG — Education was moved to the Concurrent List in 1976. The Centre has concurrent legislative power. MoUs are needed for funding partnership, not for legal authority.
GK Snapshot: PM-SHRI launched in October 2022. NEP 2020 replaces NEP 1986. Three-language formula controversy: southern states fear Hindi imposition (though NEP explicitly says Hindi cannot be made compulsory). Art. 21A age: 6-14. RTE Act reservation: 25% for EWS in private schools within 1km neighbourhood.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | PM-SHRI — PM Schools for Rising India |
| Launched | October 2022, Ministry of Education |
| Target | ~14,500 model schools implementing NEP 2020 |
| Budget | Rs 27,360 crore (Centre 60% : State 40%) |
| NE/Hill States Ratio | 90:10 (Centre:State) |
| MoU Status | 18 states/UTs signed; TN/WB/Kerala were holdouts |
| Key Constitutional Provision | Art. 21A (RTE) + Concurrent List Entry 25 |
| Education moved to Concurrent List by | 42nd Constitutional Amendment, 1976 |
MNEMONIC: REACT — RTE, Education-Concurrent, Art21A, Conflict-Art254, Three-language
• RTE Act 2009 — operationalises Art. 21A (6-14 years, free + compulsory)
• Education — Concurrent List Entry 25 (NOT State List after 1976)
• Art. 21A — inserted by 86th Amendment, 2002
• Conflict resolution: Art. 254 — Central law prevails on Concurrent List subjects
• Three-language controversy — NEP 2020 flashpoint; no Hindi compulsion clause explicit
Memory Hook: “REACT to PM-SHRI — know your education rights and federal tensions.”
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
