Disha 2026 Education Expo Draws Over 50,000 Students in Malappuram

The five-day State-level higher education expo 'Disha 2026' concluded in Malappuram on Friday after drawing more than 50,000 student visitors.

Event Highlights

Organised by the Career Guidance and Adolescent Counselling Cell of the higher secondary wing under the General Education department, the event featured about 80 institutions. These included Central and State universities, IITs, NITs, IISc, IISER, AIIMS, and national law universities. Students learned about courses, entrance tests, scholarships, research, and career options directly from institutional representatives. The expo covered medicine, engineering, civil services, law, media, scientific research, aviation, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Career seminars and the Kerala Differential Aptitude Test took place during the event, with more than 500 students taking the test. Specific stalls offered targeted information, such as the Indian Air Force explaining its Agniveervayu recruitment scheme and the Food Craft Institute introducing one-year hospitality courses. The Institute of Human Resources Development showcased student projects like a sensor-based waste segregation model, a robotic quiz, and a live cybersecurity demonstration, with over 1,000 students registering interest in its courses.

Valedictory Function

Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty inaugurated the valedictory session on Friday, while General Education Minister N. Samsudheen presided over the function. Mr. Kunhalikutty urged students to pick the right direction and make informed study choices. Mr. Samsudheen announced government plans to introduce artificial intelligence education at the high school level this year through the ARISE project. Mr. Kunhalikutty presented prizes to promotional reel competition winner A.P. Mohammed Sajad from Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Malappuram, and poster competition winner Mohammed Salman from Government Higher Secondary School, Arimbra. Mr. Samsudheen also released a newspaper and magazine prepared by the documentation team. UNICEF social policy specialist Akhila Radhakrishnan, district panchayat president's representative Ramitha Raju, regional deputy directors Jude Lewis, O. Shoukathali, and Mohammed Younus Saleem, joint director K.K. Ashraf, and State coordinator C.M. Azeem attended the event.

Context

Educational expos serve as direct platforms for students to explore diverse academic and career paths outside the standard classroom setting. Large-scale guidance events help bridge the information gap between students and premier institutions regarding entrance tests and emerging fields like artificial intelligence.