Reduction in merit seats may aggravate seat shortage

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala State government has decided to reallocate 15000 seats from the merit seats ( general seats ) to implement reservation for EWS ( Economically Weaker Section ). It has been assumed that this step might create chaos in 2020 plus one school admission process.

Though only three seats has to reallocated from one batch in order to ensure reservation for EW section, almost 15000 seats will be reduced from merit seats (general seats) statewide. In effect, students who were expecting to get admission in merit seats won't get their preferred schools or course.

The seat allocation is decided based on merit for both reservation and non-reserved categories. As the number of merit seats are reduced, it will affect the admission of both reserved and no -reserved categories alike.

If students from reserved category who were actually qualified to get seats in merit seats did not get admission in general quota due to reduction of general seats, they will prefer seats of reservation quota. This will lead to denial of seats to many students from reservation category who had otherwise had a possibility to get seats in reservation quota.

The reallocation of 15000 general seats will affect meritorious students from all categories as their admission possibilities, preference of school and course will be affected because of shortage of seats.

The State government has already issued a notification regarding reservation for EWS on 12th February 2020. All government departments and institutions working under it are obliged to implement reservation for EWS as per this gazette notification.But the Department of General and Higher Education, which controls and regulates school admission process has not issued any notification regarding it yet.

Sources says that the government will be releasing such a notification as soon possible in order to ensure that reservation for EWS is implemented in plus one admission too. Prospectus of plus one admission has to be amended accordingly.

Though some steps like permitting additional batches and new higher secondary schools could avoid this chaotic situation, the government is no mood to do so due to prevailing economic constraints of the state.

There are specific clauses which suggests to increase seats in order to ensure that reservation for EWS is implemented. A recommendation of proportionate increasing of 20 percent of seats is still pending before the government.

But if such a recommendation implemented, the number of students in a batch will become more than 60 which is not an accepted measure by many in the educational sector. This is the dilemma before the State Education Department.