The Supreme Court will today hear a batch of petitions concerning the cancellation of the KEAM 2024 rank list. The hearing will be led by a bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha. The Kerala government has informed that it will not challenge the Kerala High Court’s decision to scrap the rank list, a move that will be formally communicated to the apex court.
The government’s decision stems from the ongoing admission process, which it is keen not to disrupt. Officials cited the need to strictly adhere to the AICTE’s admission schedule as a key reason for opting out of a legal battle. According to the state, delaying admissions could lead to administrative and academic setbacks.
Today’s hearing gains prominence as it coincides with petitions filed by Kerala syllabus students challenging the High Court’s verdict. The High Court had quashed the original rank list, prompting the authorities to publish a revised version and proceed with admissions, now at the option-submission stage.
Education Minister R. Bindu had earlier confirmed that the state would not appeal the ruling, stating that prolonging the legal proceedings could create further complications for students and institutions alike.
During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court raised concerns over last-minute changes to the admission prospectus. In response, Kerala syllabus students argued that the state has the rightful authority to amend the rules. They claimed the changes corrected a long-standing bias that favored CBSE students, undermining the constitutional guarantee of equality.
Meanwhile, CBSE syllabus students have filed a separate petition requesting that no final decision be made without hearing their side. The Supreme Court is expected to take up both sets of petitions today, making this a crucial day in the ongoing KEAM rank list controversy.
