Did Kerala HC Just Cancel the KEAM Exam Results, Shaking the Vijayan Government?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- High Court cancels KEAM exam results
- New prospectus changes deemed unfair
- Delayed admissions for professional courses
- Potential appeal by the state government
- Impact on students' career progression
Kochi, July 9 (NationPress) In a significant blow to the Vijayan government, the High Court on Wednesday annulled the results of the Kerala Engineering Architecture and Medical (KEAM) examination, which were released earlier this month.
The court criticized the decision to alter the prospectus at the final moment as inappropriate.
Justice D.K. Singh subsequently nullified the rank list created under the modified prospectus and ordered the issuance of a new rank list in line with the original prospectus.
The KEAM entrance test was organized by the Commissioner of Entrance Examination from April 23 to 29.
The results were made public on May 14, with the rank list available on July 1. The controversy erupted when, on the same day the rank list was released, the state government issued a new order altering the original prospectus.
According to the revised prospectus, the weightage for the subjects Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry was adjusted to a ratio of 5:3:2 instead of the previous 1:1:1.
Additionally, the state government removed the weightage previously awarded to students following the CBSE/ICSE syllabus.
In the writ petition, it was argued that this last-minute alteration was both unfair and arbitrary.
In response to the ruling that disrupted the entire admission process, State Higher Education Minister Dr. R. Bindhu stated that the government had made changes after considering all relevant factors.
“We believed that the revised criteria would benefit everyone. We will now await the comprehensive verdict and discuss this in the cabinet meeting on Thursday, after which we will consider an appeal,” Bindhu mentioned.
KEAM serves as the entrance examination for all professional courses in the state, excluding nursing.
As a result of this new directive, admissions to these professional programs, including medicine and engineering, will face delays, potentially causing significant issues for students eager to commence their careers.