Sri Vijaya Puram, June 12: In a move aimed at enhancing higher education access for students from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the University of Calicut has officially reserved dedicated seats for native islanders across undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes in affiliated colleges for the upcoming academic session 2025-26. The announcement offers a crucial academic opportunity for local students seeking admission to Kerala-based institutions under the university’s jurisdiction.
As per the university prospectus, one additional seat each in UG and PG courses has been earmarked for students belonging to the islands. These seats will be created over and above the sanctioned intake, but remain within the statutory maximum limit. In instances where the sanctioned and statutory strength are identical, an extra seat may still be created exclusively for eligible A&N Island students.
The step comes in light of continued efforts to provide equitable academic opportunities to geographically isolated student populations, who often face logistical and infrastructural challenges in pursuing mainstream higher education on the mainland. The reserved seats open pathways for students in a wide range of disciplines, including arts, science, commerce, and professional studies.
Prospective candidates have been advised to visit the official websites of the University of Calicut (https://www.uoc.ac.in or https://www.admission.uoc.ac.in) for detailed information on available courses and the admission process. Admission is administered through the Centralised Admission Process (CAP), and only candidates who complete the CAP registration will be considered for the reserved seats.
To be eligible, interested students must submit their applications along with supporting documents, including proof of CAP registration, to the Development-IV Section at the Secretariat in Sri Vijaya Puram. The deadline for submission is 5:00 PM on June 19, 2025. The documents will then be forwarded to the university for consideration under the reserved quota.
The Centralised Admission Process is mandatory for all applicants and facilitates a transparent, merit-based selection procedure. The CAP system ensures that students are allotted seats based on eligibility, choice of programme, and availability, while streamlining the administrative workload for both the university and applicants.
This reserved seat initiative comes at a time when the Andaman & Nicobar Administration continues to work on expanding academic collaboration with mainland universities. It also serves to address the demand-supply gap in local higher education infrastructure, particularly in specialised and professional programmes.
The reservation policy is expected to benefit students seeking exposure to broader academic environments and better career prospects post-graduation. Island students, known for consistently strong academic performance, are likely to leverage this opportunity in disciplines like computer science, economics, literature, and life sciences.
Students have been encouraged to complete their CAP registration and submit their applications well before the deadline, as late submissions will not be entertained. The Secretariat has clarified that all applications must include supporting documents for eligibility verification and that incomplete submissions may be excluded from consideration.
With this targeted measure, the University of Calicut reinforces its commitment to inclusive education and regional representation. The initiative marks a meaningful step toward bridging educational disparities for island communities and aligning them with the academic mainstream.
