KEAM 2024: Key points to note before applying for Kerala Entrance

Applications are now open for KEAM 2024 (Kerala Entrance), the gateway to undergraduate engineering, medical, and other professional courses in Kerala. Prospective candidates should take note of the required certificates for upload, seat distribution across various courses, and community quotas while completing their applications. Here is a brief guide in this regard.

Creamy layer documentation:

• Applicants from backward categories must provide a non-creamy layer certificate to be considered for reserved seats. They must also specify their community from the list of castes provided on Pages 145 and 146 in Appendix 11 of the prospectus.
• Christian applicants eligible for reservation should upload a certificate indicating their sub-category.
• OEC (Other Eligible Communities) applicants must also submit a non-creamy layer certificate to avail reservation benefits.
• Scheduled category candidates need to furnish a caste certificate from the tehsildar.

In summary, candidates must upload the specified certificates outlined in the prospectus to secure each type of reservation.

Seat distribution:
Of the total MBBS and BDS seats in Kerala, 15% are allocated as all-India quota. Agricultural/Veterinary/Fisheries university courses also feature an all-India quota. Additionally, seats are reserved for nominees of Central and state governments, sports quota, NCC, ex-service personnel, children of agriculturists, and other special categories.

After allotting seats for all these categories, 5% of seats are reserved for differently-abled candidates in government/aided colleges and government cost-sharing engineering colleges. The remaining seats, after accounting for these reservations and management quotas, are allocated online based on merit and reservation norms, depending on the options for courses/colleges given by candidates.

The exact figures related to seats would be available at the time of submission of options.

10 crucial points to note:

1. Applicants for the sports quota must submit the online application acknowledgement page and relevant documents to the Sports Council by the specified deadline.
2. NCC quota candidates should submit the online application acknowledgement page and necessary documents to the unit officer, who will forward them to the NCC Directorate.
3. NRI and Minority quota seats in private/self-financing colleges, including medical/dental colleges with minority status, are allocated by the Entrance Commissioner. Candidates should upload the required documents as specified on the website.
4. Candidates seeking admission to specific engineering programs such as BTech in Agricultural Engineering, Food Technology under Kerala Agricultural University/BTech in Dairy Technology, Food Technology under Veterinary University/BTech in Food Technology at Fisheries University have to attempt the Kerala Engineering Entrance Exam.
5. Special reservation candidates are also required to take the entrance exam.
6. Scheduled category candidates must obtain a caste certificate from the tehsildar.
7. Candidates should prepare for the exam based on the syllabus given in the prospectus.
8. The mobile number and email ID provided in the application should be those of the candidate or the parent/guardian.
9. Even though there are a large number of seats for engineering, candidates have to secure a high rank to gain admission to a preferred college or course.
10. There are two entrance-related websites in Kerala. For general information, candidates can refer to www.cee-kerala.org. The website to submit applications and give options is www.cee.kerala.gov.in

Phone numbers: 155300 and 0471-2335523 / 2525300.

For updates and news alerts, check ceekinfo.cee@kerala.gov.in.

Reservation Breakdown:

State Merit: 50%
Economically Weaker Section (EWS): 10%
Ezhava: 9%
Muslim: 8%
Other Backward Hindu: 3%
Latin Catholics and Anglo-Indians: 3%
Dheevara: 2%
Viswakarma: 2%
Kusava: 1%
Other Backward Christian: 1%
Kudumbi: 1%
Scheduled Caste: 8%
Scheduled Tribe: 2%

(Total community reservation 40%)

At Government Medical College, Palakkad, 70% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2% for Scheduled Tribes.

Top rank-holders among candidates belonging to reserved categories would be included in the merit list. Those who do not secure high ranks will be eligible for reservation. Backward candidates from the non-creamy layer are eligible for reservation. Additionally, children of mixed-marriage couples with one parent from a backward caste may claim reservation, provided they produce a non-creamy layer certificate. There is no income limit for Scheduled category reservation eligibility.

Definition of Keralite

Candidates have to submit any one among the following documents to prove their nativity:

• Copy of SSLC (Class 10 certificate) page with place of birth in Kerala.
• Copy of SSLC page of either parent born in Kerala and certificate proving relationship with candidate.
• Copy of passport of applicant or parent showing place of birth in Kerala. If the passport of the parent is submitted, a document proving the relationship with the applicant is mandatory.
• A certificate from the village officer in the specific format stating that the candidate or either parent was born in Kerala. If the birth certificate of a parent is uploaded, another document showing that the applicant is the son/daughter of that person has to be uploaded. The format of this certificate is given in Appendix 35 of the prospectus.
• A document certifying that the parent is an officer in all-India service who has been allotted to Kerala. Refer to Appendix 35A for more details.

Two categories of non-Keralites

Category 1: Children of Central government employees, including defence personnel, working in Kerala; and of state government employees belonging to other states who have worked at least two years in Kerala. Category 1 applicants should have studied classes 11 and 12 in Kerala and the office head/principal has to certify this fact in the specified form. A student who has stayed for at least five of the past 12 years in the state is eligible to be in the first category. However, a certificate in this regard in the specific format from the village officer has to be produced. Students who have studied classes 8 to 12 in Kerala also fall in this category, for which a certificate from the principal in the required form is necessary. Candidates belonging to Category 1 will be considered only for state merit seats and will not be eligible for reservation.

Category 2: All non-Keralites who do not belong to the first category will be considered as Category 2. These candidates should produce a certificate from the principal mentioning that they have cleared Plus Two (Class 12). They also have to produce proof of Indian nationality, for which a copy of their passport is sufficient. Applicants belonging to this category are eligible for admission to the following seats, subject to conditions: government/management seats in government-controlled self-financing engineering colleges and private self-financing engineering/architecture/pharmacy/siddha/unani colleges.