In a major reform to Kerala's higher education system, the state government has approved an order allowing diploma and Industrial Training Institute (ITI) graduates to pursue conventional undergraduate programmes without a Plus Two qualification.

The move will enable eligible diploma and ITI holders to secure admission to state universities and affiliated colleges from the 2027–28 academic year.

The decision, issued through a government order by the Higher Education Department, aims to align Kerala's admission framework with the National Credit Framework (NCrF), which seeks to integrate school, vocational and higher education while enabling greater academic mobility.

"This integration is operationalised through institutionalised credit accumulation, credit transfer matrices and flexible academic pathways. The overarching objective of the framework is to facilitate horizontal and vertical student mobility by anchoring academic and vocational curricula to internationally and nationally benchmarked qualification levels," the order states.

The reform follows recommendations by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), which reviewed the existing eligibility criteria for diploma and ITI holders seeking admission to conventional undergraduate programmes.

Under the new policy, candidates who have completed an ITI course after Class 10 and have acquired the additional language credits prescribed under the NCrF, or any equivalent criteria specified by the University Grants Commission (UGC), will be eligible for admission to the first year of any Four-Year Undergraduate Programme.

Candidates who have completed a three-year technical diploma after Class 10, awarded by the State Board of Technical Education (SBTE) or an equivalent qualification recognised by the government, will be eligible for direct lateral entry into the second year (third semester) of a Four-Year Undergraduate Programme.

The same benefit will also extend to candidates holding a two-year technical diploma completed after Class 12 through the lateral entry stream, provided the qualification has been awarded by the SBTE or recognised by the state government as equivalent.

The new policy will apply to all state universities, autonomous institutions and affiliated colleges offering Four-Year Undergraduate Programmes.

The government has directed the Director of Technical Education to communicate the order to all universities, autonomous institutions and polytechnics and act as the nodal authority to ensure its uniform implementation across the state.

The order will come into effect from the 2027–28 academic year and will govern all undergraduate admissions conducted thereafter.