The Kerala government faces a major embarrassment after the High Court quashed the KEAM engineering entrance rank list, delivering a stinging verdict against the state's attempt to modify examination norms after the test had been conducted, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
The judicial setback stems from the government's decision to alter the mark standardisation rules at the eleventh hour, ostensibly to address perceived disadvantages faced by state syllabus students. However, the court's ruling has exposed the flawed timing and questionable transparency of these changes.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu indicated the government would challenge the verdict before a division bench, stating that the cabinet would determine the appropriate course of action. "The government does not have any vested interest other than ensuring justice to all students," she remarked, though the court's ruling suggests otherwise.
The critical issue wasn't the nature of the changes but their timing. Despite months of speculation and anxiety among students and parents about potential norm changes, the cabinet delayed ratification until June 30 – well after candidates had submitted their qualifying exam marks for the 50:50 ratio calculation with entrance scores.
Adding to the controversy, the government bypassed the customary formal press note after the cabinet decision, creating confusion before hastily announcing results on July 1, merely an hour after uploading the revised prospectus online.
Sources suggest this rush was intended to prevent litigation over the altered norms, though the strategy ultimately backfired. A senior official from the Commissioner for Entrance Exams (CEE) office noted that the court hadn't examined the merits of the new standardisation formula, focusing instead on procedural violations.
The court firmly rejected the CEE's argument that prospectus clauses could be modified post-examination, emphasising that "rules of the game cannot be changed midway, once the game has begun."
The Council for CBSE Schools, Kerala (CSSK) welcomed the verdict, with secretary general Indira Rajan calling on the government to "accept the essence of the High Court judgement and correct the discriminatory stance adopted towards students of non-state boards."
