Plus One seat shortage: SFI joins protest in Malappuram

Malappuram: Adding more pressure on the state government to act decisively on the Plus One seat shortage issue in Malabar, SFI on Monday joined other student organisations to protest against the crisis. CPM's students' wing asked the government to arrange facilities so that all qualified students are enrolled in government and aided schools. Muslim Students Federation (MSF), KSU and Fraternity too staged protests in different areas of Malappuram town on Monday.

SFI said its protests are not determined by which party is in power. "The General Education Minister (V Sivankutty) has said that the government would allocate special batches if students do not get admission after the second and third allotments. Our protest is against the government not taking any initiative to special batches even after the third allotment.

However, the media and the opposition parties are exaggerating the number of students who are yet to get admission. There is only a shortage of around 10,000 seats. If we add the seats in the unaided sector, the shortage will only be around 100-150," SFI district secretary E Afsal said.

Intensifying its protest, members of Haritha, MSF girl's wing, stormed into the RDD office on Monday. The day also marked the fifth day of MSF's protest at the RDD office.

In the meantime, the KSU also blocked the RDD office on Monday as part of its protest. Amid protests, Education Minister V Sivankutty informed the assembly that there was a shortage of 7,478 Plus One seats in Malappuram. The minister has called a meeting with the representatives of different student organisations on Tuesday.