THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The demand-supply imbalance in Plus One seat, especially in northern districts such as Malappuram, has remained unaddressed if the scenario after supplementary allotment is anything to go by.
While merit quota seats in Malappuram were mostly filled, there were huge vacancies in management quota and unaided seats. Malappuram saw 19,659 valid applications for supplementary allotment of which 6,005 applicants were allotted seats.
Interestingly, while 13,654 applicants failed to get seats, the vacancies in management quota and unaided schools in the northern district added up to 13,060.
Among northern districts, 169 merit seats remained vacant after supplementary allotment. The vacancy was 51 in Kozhikode, 215 in Wayanad, 641 in Kannur and 701 in Kasaragod. Notably, the six northern districts from Palakkad to Kasaragod had no takers for 8,349 management quota seats and 21,494 unaided seats.
Meanwhile, of the 67,596 applicants for supplementary allotment across the state, 35,163 were allotted seats. After supplementary allotment, the merit quota seat vacancy was reduced to 10,600. However, the combined seat vacancy across the state in management quota and unaided schools was 59,707.
Though the deadline for admissions under supplementary allotment ended at 4 PM on Friday, the Higher Secondary wing of the General Education Department did not have statistics on the final seat vacancy position at the time of going to print. The final seat vacancy is considered after factoring in the number of students who did not take admission after getting allotment.
“An estimated 3,500-4,000 seats would further fall vacant across the state if the number of students who did not join the schools after being allotted seats is accounted for. These seats can be filled in a subsequent supplementary allotment,” said a senior official of the Higher Secondary wing.
Flawed process hurts aspirants
A lot of students who scored high marks remain unsatisfied with the subjects they have been allotted in Plus One. Though the single-window system (Ekajalakam) for the admission process was highly welcomed, the way students were admitted to various courses has drawn flak.