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HC quashes last-minute change to ’25 KEAM exam
The Kerala High Court quashed a last-minute KEAM 2025 prospectus change, deeming it illegal and unjustified, sparking potential government appeal.
The Kerala high court on Wednesday quashed a last-minute change to Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) 2025 examination prospectus on the weightage of marks in different subjects, calling it “illegal, arbitrary, and unjustified”.
The single bench of Justice DK Singh delivered the ruling on a batch of writ petitions filed by students who passed the 10 + 2 examinations under CBSE and had appeared for the KEAM 2025.
The petitioners argued that the change, issued on July 1, just an hour before the rank list was published, altered the method for calculating final scores of candidates and it was done to favour those who studied under the state syllabus.
The change in the prospectus stated that while the KEAM marks and 10 + 2 board exam marks would be maintained in a 50:50 ratio, in respect of the marks in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, the marks obtained would be in the ratio of 5:3:2 instead of the earlier 1:1:1.
The results of the KEAM exam, for which over 86,000 students appeared this year for admission to engineering, architecture and medical courses in the state, were announced on July 1, exactly one hour after the prospectus was changed. The exams were conducted between April 23 and 29 this year.
PG Pramod, senior government pleader, argued that the clause 1.6 of the prospectus gives the government powers to make changes to the prospectus at any point of time.
The HC noted that while the government may possess the power, how it chooses to exercise the power is another matter.
“On 14.05.2025, the score cards of the students relating to the entrance examinations were declared on the website, and the students were directed to submit their marks obtained in class 10 + 2 examinations. When the authorities have full data before them and found that the students from the Kerala stream have not done very well in the examination, they decided to change the formulae in the most arbitrary, illegal and unjustified manner,” the bench said.
“The change in the prospectus is set aside. The Commissioner for the Entrance Examinations is directed to publish the rank list in accordance with the prospectus which was issued on 19.02.2025,” the judge said.
Reacting to the HC ruling, Kerala higher education minister R Bindu indicated that the state government may appeal against the single-judge order.
“The state’s only aim is to ensure fairness and justice for all students. The government does not have any other ulterior motives. All decisions were made in a transparent manner,” she said.
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