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The Kerala government released the revised Kerala Engineering Architecture and Medical (KEAM) 2025 rank list late on Thursday, July 10, following a directive from the Kerala High Court. The rank list, revised using the original formula, saw a major reshuffle, including a sharp decline in the ranks of students from the Kerala state syllabus. As many as 79 CBSE students and 21 state board students made it to the top 100 ranks, compared to 55 and 43 respectively in the previous list.
The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations published the results after the High Court quashed the earlier rank list, which had been prepared using a new formula, and ordered a fresh list based on the prospectus issued in February.
As per the revised list, Joshua Jacob Thomas from Thiruvananthapuram, who held the fifth position in the previous rank list, is now the top ranker. John Sinoj of Ernakulam, who topped the initial list, has been placed seventh in the new list.
The controversy erupted after the state government issued an order on July 1 to alter the evaluation formula, the same day the original rank list was published. As per the amended criteria, the ratio of marks for Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry was changed from 1:1:1 to 5:3:2. This change significantly impacted students from CBSE and ICSE backgrounds, who alleged that it was biased and arbitrary.
On Thursday, the High Court maintained that the last-minute change in eligibility criteria was unjustified and directed authorities to revert to the original prospectus and issue a revised rank list. The single bench of Justice D.K. Singh ruled that the change was not only unfair but also violated principles of natural justice. The court criticised the government for modifying the prospectus after the exams had been conducted and results declared. The intervention came after a petition filed by Hana Fatima Ahnus, along with other KEAM candidates, who argued that the prospectus was amended post-examination.
The ruling has thrown the admission process for professional courses into uncertainty, leaving thousands of students and parents anxious. Following the court’s direction, the ranks of many students from the state syllabus dropped by approximately 700 to 5,000 places. “Initially, my rank was 9,000, and now it is 14,000. We, the state syllabus students, had a nearly 47-mark difference. I was planning to join biomedical engineering, but with the current marks, admission will be difficult. We are planning to file a case,” said Aditys, a state syllabus student.
Parents of the previously affected students, particularly from CBSE and ICSE streams, welcomed the judgment and accused the government of acting irresponsibly. “This was completely unwarranted. How can a responsible government change rules after results are declared? We’re relieved the court has intervened,” said a group of parents after the hearing.
Veteran educationist and former engineering college principal Prof R.V.G. Menon said this situation had been building up for a long time. “The only way forward is to strictly adhere to the published eligibility criteria. A clear, consistent policy must be implemented well in advance for the next KEAM cycle,” he said.
KEAM is the state’s entrance exam for admissions to professional courses, excluding nursing. KEAM 2024 was held from April 23 to 29, and the results were declared on May 14.
With IANS inputs