HC: Extend Plus One application deadline

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Director, Higher Secondary Education, to extend the deadline for submission of applications for Plus One courses in the State stream for two more days from the date of declaration of CBSE Class X examination results.

The court passed the order on a writ petition filed by Babychan Cyriac, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) president, St. Mary’s English Medium School, Kozhikode, and PTA presidents of two other CBSE-affiliated schools in Kozhikode.

May 18 deadline

The petitioners said the Higher Secondary Education Department had invited applications for Plus One admissions and the last date for submission of applications was May 18.

They pointed out that as a result, the majority of students who studied Class X under the CBSE stream would not be able to submit their applications for Plus One courses in higher secondary schools.

In fact, there was no bar on the CBSE students securing admission in the higher secondary schools. The authorities should have waited till the declaration of the CBSE Class X results before stipulating a deadline for submission of applications.

The court had earlier ordered to extend to May 30 the last date for submission of applications for Plus One courses in the higher secondary schools.

Last year, the government had allowed the CBSE students to apply for the State stream by extending the last date of application following an order by a High Court Division Bench. The CBSE declares the results of Class 10 and Class 12 examinations usually towards the end of May. The early admission procedure being followed by the State government has been giving jitters to CBSE students aspiring to continue their higher secondary education in the State stream for the past many years. Last year, nearly 1.45 lakh CBSE students had joined the State higher secondary after their Class 10.