Thiruvananthapuram: The General Education Department has stated that no additional batches would be sanctioned in advance for Plus One admissions in government schools across the state for the upcoming academic year.

It added that under-enrolled and vacant batches will be reorganised after the first phase of allotment. Additional batches will be considered only if a seat shortage persists even after this process.

In 2024, 73,724 seats, including 178 temporary batches and marginal seats approved in the previous year, were retained. Despite this, the Malabar region faced a severe seat shortage, leading to widespread controversy.

The shortage was primarily due to the unavailability of sufficient seats in high-demand subjects. In response to protests, 120 additional batches were allotted in Malappuram and 18 in Kasaragod during the supplementary phase to address the crisis.

The current decision is based on recommendations from district-level committees led by Higher Secondary Regional Deputy Directors and a state-level committee chaired by the Director of General Education. According to reports, 54,996 Plus One seats remained vacant across districts last year, with Malappuram alone accounting for 7,922 unfilled seats.