Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Higher Education Department has issued an order allowing students with ITI and diploma qualifications to pursue undergraduate degree programmes without the mandatory Plus Two qualification. The new policy, based on the National Credit Framework (NCrF), will come into effect from the 2027-28 academic year.
Under the revised norms, students who have completed an ITI course after Class 10 will be eligible for direct admission to the first year of four-year undergraduate programmes offered by universities and affiliated colleges across the state. The move enables ITI graduates to apply for a wide range of degree courses.
The order also provides lateral entry to the second year (third semester) of undergraduate programmes for students who have completed a three-year polytechnic diploma after Class 10 or a two-year diploma after Plus Two. The Higher Education Department issued the order based on the recommendation of the Higher Education Council, and the Director of Technical Education has been directed to communicate the new eligibility norms to all universities and polytechnic institutions in the state.
