Kerala High Court cancels KEAM 2025 rankings over unfair weightage change

Kochi: In a significant blow to the Kerala government, the High Court on Wednesday annulled the results of the KEAM (Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical) entrance examination.

The decision follows a petition that challenged last-minute changes to the subject weightage criteria used in student rankings.

The controversy stemmed from a shift in the evaluation formula detailed in the exam prospectus. Traditionally, equal weightage was given to Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry in a 1:1:1 ratio. However, the new formula — introduced after the release of the prospectus — changed this to 5:3:2, giving extra emphasis to Mathematics, followed by Physics and Chemistry.

The court ruled that this alteration was made without adequate notice or legal basis, making it invalid.

Petitioners argued that the sudden change was discriminatory, particularly disadvantaging students from certain educational boards like CBSE.

Many students with strong overall scores found themselves ranked lower under the new system. Education experts also criticised the lack of transparency, calling for fairer and more standardised evaluation methods.

Justice D K Singh, who delivered the verdict, noted that the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) failed in its duty to inform students about significant changes in advance.

He ordered that the KEAM rankings be annulled and recalculated using the original 1:1:1 weightage system.

The ruling comes just as the admission cycle was set to begin, plunging the entire engineering admission process into uncertainty across the state.