The Higher Education department has flagged the misconceptions about the perceived exodus of students from Kerala, allegedly leading to numerous seats going vacant in higher education institutions.
Higher Education Minister R. Bindu on Tuesday lashed out at the “malicious propaganda” regarding admissions, clarifying that such misinformation was fuelled by premature assessments using statistics of incomplete admissions processes.
This year, a total of 3,53,195 students from various educational boards, including the State syllabus, CBSE and ICSE, passed their Plus Two examinations. The higher education aspirants opted for diverse fields such as arts, science, medical, engineering, law and agriculture, with many also pursuing entrance coaching for various courses.
The 10 universities under the department including Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut, Kannur Universities and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) offered a combined total of 2,67,565 seats. In addition to these, various other programmes, including polytechnic and distance education courses, bring the total number of available seats to nearly 3 lakh.
According to Dr. Bindu, while the admission process was still on, as many as 2,65,927 students have already secured admissions in various institutions across Kerala. Notably, this figure does not include admissions to Central institutions that operate in the State like the Central University of Kerala, IIT, IISER and NIT, nor does it reflect the ongoing admissions for courses like DLEd, General Nursing, and Diploma in Nursing are yet to conclude.
Admissions to various programmes under the Sreenarayanaguru Open University, and distance/online courses of various universities were also under way.
“Current estimates suggest that at least 3 lakh students will secure admissions in degree courses in Kerala this year,” she added. The Minister also pointed to the significant increase in admissions at the KTU, where student enrolment has surged from 32,055 last year to 35,923 this year, marking an increase of 3,868 students.
Government and aided colleges have also been witnessing strong enrolment, with nearly 90% and 80% admission rates, respectively.
Notably, the number of seats offered by universities have been increasing with the introduction of new programmes and courses. Mahatma Gandhi University, for instance, has increased its total seats from 61,113 to 64,007 this year.
Published - November 05, 2024 08:35 pm IST
