Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 – A day after the Kerala High Court annulled the KEAM 2024 rank list, Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu defended the state government’s actions, saying changes were made “in good faith” to ensure fairness in admissions.
“Our intention was to provide equal opportunity to all students, and the decision was based on a scientific and fair approach,” said Bindhu. She added that the government exercised its authority, as stated in the KEAM prospectus, which allows changes to eligibility conditions.
The controversy erupted when the Kerala government issued a Government Order (GO) on July 1—the same day the KEAM rank list was released—changing the formula for evaluating Class 12 marks from a 1:1:1 ratio for Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics to 5:3:2. This sudden change, which reportedly disadvantaged CBSE and ICSE students, led to legal action by concerned parents.
The single bench of the High Court ruled the modification unfair and in violation of natural justice, highlighting that altering the prospectus after exams and result declarations was legally untenable. The division bench later upheld the ruling, dismissing the state’s appeal and ordering a revised rank list based on the original criteria.
Bindhu hinted that the government would not approach the Supreme Court, and said the admission process for professional courses (excluding nursing) would resume shortly.
Notably, the cabinet had approved the controversial changes on June 30, despite internal concerns. Now, the Pinarayi Vijayan government faces criticism from the opposition and affected parents, who accuse it of acting irresponsibly.
KEAM 2024, Kerala’s key entrance exam for professional courses, was conducted from April 23–29, with results released on May 14. The HC ruling has prompted authorities to revert to the original evaluation method for the rank list.
