Plus One seat crisis in Malabar region coming to an end; Govt sanctions 120 additional batches

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has issued an order sanctioning 120 additional Plus One batches to address the seat shortage in the Malabar region. Education Minister N. Shamsudheen said the decision fulfils the UDF's election promise to provide sufficient Plus One seats for students.

The government has sanctioned 30 additional batches in Palakkad, 60 in Malappuram, 20 in Kozhikode, and 10 in Kasaragod. Each batch will have 60 seats, allowing 7,200 more students to secure admission, the Education Minister's Office said.

The government had earlier received several requests for additional Plus One seats. According to the department, the 120 temporary batches will ensure admission for all applicants. It added that the government's policy is to provide admission to every eligible student.

The temporary batches have been introduced in a manner that will not create a significant financial burden on the government. In the Malabar region, several seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and socially and economically backward sections remained vacant due to a lack of eligible candidates. These seats were converted into merit seats during the third allotment.