Kerala government decides to increase Plus-1 seats by 20% this academic year

The state government has ordered to increase the seats for the admission to the first year higher secondary course (Plus-1) in government and aided schools by twenty per cent in the current academic year. As per the order, the government can admit 10 students additionally in each batch in all the schools.

However, there is no increase in the number of seats in unaided schools. Currently, a total of 3,60,000 seats are available in higher secondary schools in the state. 

With the increase in the number of seats, 62,000 more students can be admitted. Though the General Education Minister C Raveendranath had earlier decided to implement it in the first allotment process, the government could not implement it due to the model code of conduct. 

Since the code of conduct was lifted on Monday, the government has issued the order. The newly added seats will not be included in the second allotment which will begin on Wednesday. In a statement, the HSE department said the government will include the seats in the school combination transfer and supplementary. 

The government has also entrusted the higher secondary director to submit a report to change the higher secondary batches which are lying vacant in certain schools due to the shortage of students to other schools. According to P P Prakashan, Higher Secondary Joint Director, efforts are on to identify the schools which have an insufficient number of students in the batches and shifting them to other schools. 

In more than 20 schools in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, there are less students in some of the batches. The government may declare these schools as uneconomical and shift these students to the schools which have a sufficient number of seats. The first allotment for the plus one admissions was published on May 24 while the second allotment will begin on Wednesday.