Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram: In a landmark ruling that has sent shockwaves across Kerala’s academic community, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday quashed the KEAM 2025 results, declaring the government’s abrupt post-exam change to the subject weightage formula unfair, arbitrary, and lacking transparency. The court directed that the rank list be reissued using the original 1:1:1 weightage for Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, scrapping the newly introduced 5:3:2 ratio.
Justice D.K. Singh, who delivered the verdict, noted that the last-minute policy shift disproportionately benefited state board students while putting CBSE and ICSE students at a disadvantage, violating the principles of equal opportunity. The change, introduced after the initial results were announced, drew widespread criticism and triggered multiple legal challenges from affected students and parents.
The verdict has derailed the admission process for thousands of engineering aspirants, with counselling and seat allotments now facing delays. The Court’s order follows a contentious timeline where the exams were held in April, results announced in May, and the controversial rank list released on July 1, just hours after the government formally approved the weightage change.
Students and parents welcomed the decision as a victory for fairness and academic justice, especially for those from national boards. In response, Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R. Bindu confirmed that the government is reviewing the order and may consider an appeal after cabinet discussions.
With the court’s firm stance on transparency and procedural fairness, the ruling serves as a strong reminder that policy shifts, especially those impacting student futures, must be timely, clear, and justifiable. All eyes are now on the state government’s next move in what is turning out to be one of the most closely watched education controversies in recent years.
