Thiruvananthapuram: In a major relief to thousands of engineering aspirants across Kerala, the state government has decided not to challenge the Kerala High Court’s ruling that invalidated the revised KEAM 2025 rank list formula. The decision, announced on Wednesday, confirms that the new rank list will be prepared and published based on the original 1:1:1 weightage formula giving equal importance to Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
The High Court had earlier quashed the government's move to apply a revised formula (5:3:2) for calculating entrance scores. The court ruled that the change, introduced after the application process had already begun, was arbitrary and unfair. The verdict emphasized that once students had applied under a certain set of rules, any retrospective change would violate principles of natural justice.
Education Minister Dr. R. Bindu clarified that while the government believes it has the right to revise admission guidelines for technical courses, it would not pursue an appeal in this matter. She stressed that the administration does not wish to delay the admission process further and intends to comply fully with the court's directive. Accordingly, the fresh rank list is expected to be released today, using the standardisation formula originally outlined in the KEAM prospectus.
The Minister further noted that although the revised formula was introduced with the intention of aligning subject weightage with academic relevance, the timing of the change became problematic. The government, she said, would ensure that future modifications, if any, would be made well in advance of the application process and with sufficient consultation.
The KEAM admission cycle is under pressure to meet deadlines, with all engineering seat allotments scheduled to be completed by August 14. The entrance commissioner has already begun preparations for publishing the new list and proceeding with allotment as per the court-sanctioned formula.
With this decision, the government seeks to restore transparency and procedural fairness to one of the state’s most competitive and closely watched admission processes. Students from CBSE, ICSE, and other non-state boards many of whom felt unfairly penalized by the revised formula can now expect a more level playing field as they await the updated rankings.