THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A success rate of 96.15% was recorded in Malayalam Mission’s Neelakurinji senior higher diploma course certificate exam for Class X equivalency, conducted by Pareeksha Bhavan, for children of Malayali expatriates.
Of the 156 candidates who registered for the exam from the first batch of the course, 150 passed the exam and earned Class X equivalency. This included 48 boys and 102 girls. While 26 candidates secured an A+ grade, 42 candidates passed with an A grade and 38 were placed in B+grade.
“It is a historic moment as children from the expatriate world are earning Class X equivalency in their mother tongue. It’s a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country,” remarked Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan who announced the results here on Friday.
Malayalam Mission, under the Culture Department, promotes learning of Malayalam and familiarisation of Kerala culture among expatriate children undergoing formal education in other languages.
In addition to Neelakurinji, Malayalam Mission offers three other courses in Malayalam: Kanikkonna (certificate), Sooryakanthi (Diploma) and Aambal (Higher Diploma). Of these, Neelakurinji is conducted as a public exam by the state Pareeksha Bhavan under the General Education Department.
In 2019, the government issued orders declaring Neelakurinji as a Class X equivalency course. It is the only language equivalency course recognised by PSC. Neelakurinji has been recognised by PSC as the language proficiency course for the purpose of declaring probation for newly inducted government employees.