KEAM 2025 Engineering Rank List Cancelled: Know Why!

The Kerala High Court’s decision to cancel the KEAM 2025 engineering entrance rank list has dealt a big blow to the state government. The court found fault with the government’s last-minute decision to change the way Plus Two marks were standardised, especially after the exams were already conducted.

The state government had introduced the changes in an effort to help students from the Kerala state syllabus, who were reportedly at a disadvantage compared to students from other education boards. However, the court ruled that making such changes after the exam was unfair and against the rules.

Despite the setback, the government plans to appeal the verdict. Higher Education Minister R Bindu said, “The cabinet will decide the next step. The government only wants to ensure justice for all students.”

Timing of Rule Change Raised Eyebrows

The major issue was not the change itself, but the timing. Even though students and parents had been worried for months about possible changes, the government only approved the new rules on June 30 — after all students had already submitted their qualifying exam marks.

Surprisingly, the government did not issue a press note, as is normally done for such major decisions. The very next day, on July 1, KEAM results were announced just an hour after the updated rules were uploaded online. This raised concerns about transparency.

A parent who was among those who challenged the decision in court said, “The process lacked clarity and created confusion for students.”

Government Tried to Avoid Legal Delays

Sources said the government rushed the decision to avoid legal challenges that might have delayed result announcements. A senior official from the Commissioner for Entrance Exams (CEE) office said the High Court did not question the fairness of the new rule itself, but only its sudden implementation.

However, the court rejected the argument that the government could change the rules after the exam. “You cannot change the rules after the game has started,” the court stated firmly.

Mixed Reactions

The Council for CBSE Schools, Kerala (CSSK), welcomed the court’s verdict. “The government must accept the judgment in its true spirit and stop treating non-state board students unfairly,” said Indira Rajan, CSSK’s Secretary General.