Kerala Assembly Faces Uproar Over Malabar Plus One Admission Crisis

The Kerala government faces accusations from the Congress-led UDF opposition in the state assembly, concerning a supposed crisis in plus one admissions in the Malabar region. While the government denies any shortage, opposition leaders highlight the issue of vacant seats and the need for permanent solutions over temporary measures.

The Kerala government on Tuesday asserted in the state assembly that there was no crisis in plus one admissions in the northern Malabar region. However, the Congress-led UDF opposition contested this claim, accusing the Left administration of making inaccurate statements in the House.

State General Education Minister V Sivankutty contended that every year, thousands of seats remain vacant after plus one (class 11) admissions in the Malabar region. He emphasized that temporary additional batches are annually approved to ensure students can choose their preferred streams.

The opposition, led by UDF, moved an adjournment notice to discuss the alleged shortage of seats, which was ultimately denied, leading to an opposition walkout in protest. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan questioned the necessity of a 30% marginal increase in class strength if seats were truly vacant. He raised concerns about teaching efficacy with 65-75 students per class.

Deputy Leader of Opposition P K Kunhalikutty claimed there remained a seat shortage despite the marginal increase, attributing this to neglect towards the Malabar region. UDF MLA N Samsudheen asserted that Ministry figures were inconsistent with government data, pointing to an acute shortage across all six Malabar districts, particularly Malappuram.

Sivankutty refuted these allegations, stating his figures were accurate and noted that Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had assured further measures if a shortage persisted. The ongoing debate highlights the critical need for permanent solutions to the region's educational challenges.