New temporary batches sanctioned for Malappuram
Minister concedes there is shortage of Plus One seats in district in talks with student organisations; two-member committee to study how batches should be sanctioned in Malappuram
Conceding that there is a shortage of Plus One higher secondary seats in Malappuram, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has yielded to the demand for sanctioning new temporary batches in the district following talks with student organisations that have been on the warpath for the past few days on the issue.
A two-member committee has been appointed to study how the batch allocation should be done. It has to submit its report by July 5. The decision comes in the wake of escalating protests by Opposition parties, including their student outfits. Representatives of 15 student organisations attended the discussion, convened on the directions of the Chief Minister, on Tuesday afternoon.
Addressing mediapersons after the talks, the Minister who had been insistent till now that there was no seat shortage admitted that there was a shortage of 7,478 seats in Malappuram. Considering the situation there, in-principle approval had been given for new temporary batches, the Minister said.
The department, he said, had collected taluk-wise details of allotments and seat shortage. An examination of subject combinations in Malappuram district found that there were around 4,430 excess science seats in seven taluks – Nilambur, Eranad, Perinthalmanna, Tirur, Ponnani, Tirurangadi, and Kondotty. However, there was shortage of 3,405 commerce and 3,116 humanities seats in these taluks.
The two-member committee, comprising the higher secondary joint director (academic) and the Malappuram regional deputy director, would examine the situation in Malappuram and how to sanction batches and submit a report to the government by July 5. Further admission procedures would be held on the basis of the report, he said.
Applications for supplementary allotment could be submitted from July 2 to 4, and admissions could be taken on July 8 and 9.
On the report of the V. Karthikeyan Nair committee, appointed to study Plus One batch reorganisation, that had been submitted to the government and if there was need for another committee to study the situation in Malappuram, the Minister initially denied that the Karthikeyan Nair committee had been appointed.
When pointed out that the Higher Secondary Joint Director (academic) was a member of the panel, the Minister did a turnround and admitted that the panel had submitted its report. However, the government had limitations in implementing it, he said.
The student organisations, at the talks, demanded that the shortage of seats be met through sanctioning of additional batches, instead of marginal increase of 20% to 30% which resulted in packed classrooms with 65 to 75 students in a division.
The organisations also wanted the General Education department to look into if allotment could be made at the taluk level. The Minister promised them that this would be examined in consultation with those concerned.
The student organisations sought that applications for SCOLE-Kerala be invited after supplementary allotment concluded.
Representatives from student outfits, including Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Federation, Kerala Students’ Union, and the Muslim Students’ Federation, welcomed the Minister’s assurances, terming it a victory for their agitation.
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