Ludhiana: A total of 200 seats out of 1,000 remain vacant at the Senior Secondary Residential Meritorious School in Ludhiana, even after the completion of the final round of counselling in the first week of August.The institution offers science and commerce stream classes for boys and girls, admitting students through an entrance exam. Of the remaining vacant seats, approximately 100 are in the commerce stream and 100 are in the science stream.The current vacancy figure shows an improvement over the previous academic year, when approximately 250 seats remained vacant.The school is one of 10 residential meritorious schools operated across Punjab districts—including Amritsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Ferozepur, and Mohali—by the Society for Promotion of Quality Education for Poor and Meritorious Students of Punjab.School authorities attributed the vacancy to students exercising alternative academic choices available in the state.“The school comes with the facility of hostel accommodation as well for both boys and girls, however in the end it is the choice of the students to choose their schools. Sometimes the students after the entrance test and other official procedures, still choose a different school,” said school principal Satwant Kaur. “The students have an option to go for School of Eminence or PM Shri as well, so they choose according to their own preference. This year we have around 200 vacant seats, around 100 in commerce stream and 100 in science streams. The final counselling session for this academic year is over.”Educational administrators noted the distinct governance structure of these specialised schools compared to standard state facilities.Deputy district education officer Amandeep Singh said, “The residential meritorious schools do not have a direct approach from the education department as these schools are operated more closely by the society for quality education for poor and meritorious students Punjab.”
