KEAM rank list issue: Kerala minister says things were done in good faith

Thiruvananthapuram, July 11 (IANS) A day after the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government suffered a blow following the cancellation of the results of KEAM (Kerala Engineering, Architecture and Medical) entrance exam by the Kerala High Court, Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu on Friday said the state government did things in good faith.

“Our only aim was that all students should get equal chances, and it was done on a scientific basis. The standardisation was done in good faith as we took a considered decision which we felt was the best,” said Bindhu.

“In the prospectus, it is clear that the state government can make changes to the conditions anytime. When the final rank list is prepared, the marks scored in the KEAM exam are taken and also the marks secured at the Class 12 exam. Any student who has studied in the state syllabus (considered easier than ICSE and CBSE streams), 35 marks are deducted from the total qualifying marks, and then the rank list is prepared. We felt it was wrong and decided to change the conditions,” added Bindhu. She asked the media "not to act like a court and need not ask probing questions" and then walked away.

With Bindhu making things clear and dropping enough hints that the state government is not going to the Supreme Court against the division bench verdict of the Kerala High Court, in a day or two, the allotment process to the professional courses, barring nursing, will commence.

Incidentally, the decision to alter the prospectus was taken at the June 30 cabinet meeting. A section of the cabinet felt that this alteration could lead to trouble, which was, however, overlooked and the decision was made. The HC order has now left the Vijayan government under attack from the opposition and also the concerned parents.

The division bench dismissed the state government's appeal challenging the single bench’s verdict issued on Wednesday, which had annulled the KEAM rank list published on July 1.

The court maintained that the last-minute change in the eligibility criteria was unjustified and directed the authorities to revert to the original prospectus and issue a revised rank list.

The controversy erupted after the state government issued a Government Order (GO) on July 1 -- the same day the rank list was published -- altering the evaluation formula.

As per the amended criteria, the ratio of marks for Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry was changed from 1:1:1 to 5:3:2, effectively affecting students from CBSE and ICSE backgrounds, who alleged that the change was biased and arbitrary.

The single bench of Justice D.K. Singh had ruled that the change was not only unfair but also violated the principles of natural justice. The court found fault with the government for modifying the prospectus after the exams were conducted and the results declared.

Despite the swift appeal by the government before the division bench seeking a stay on the verdict, the bench upheld the earlier ruling, stating that the prospectus forms a binding contract and altering it retrospectively was legally untenable.

Parents of affected students, particularly from CBSE and ICSE streams, welcomed the judgment, accusing the government of acting irresponsibly.

KEAM 2024 was held from April 23 to 29, and the results were declared on May 14. The controversial rank list based on the amended criteria came on July 1, triggering the legal challenge.

KEAM is the state’s entrance exam for admissions to professional courses, excluding nursing.

--IANS

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