Court Orders Recasting of KEAM 2026 Rank List to Include Revalued Marks Amidst Admission Process
In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court has intervened to provide relief to CBSE students who were adversely affected by errors in the revaluation process of their examination papers. The court, presided over by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, addressed the grievances of three petitioners who claimed their ranks in the Kerala Engineering Architecture and Medical Entrance Examination (KEAM) 2026 were compromised due to delayed publication of their revalued CBSE results.
The petitioners, Farasha Shabnam, Eshan Ahmed, and Asna A.S., had initially submitted their CBSE marks for the KEAM 2026. They later applied for revaluation due to perceived discrepancies. However, their revalued results were released only after the KEAM rank list was published, resulting in lower ranks that did not reflect their updated scores.
The court noted that the delay in the publication of revalued results was not attributable to the students but was due to technical glitches and errors in the CBSE's valuation process. The Kerala Government had already delayed the KEAM rank list publication to accommodate CBSE students awaiting revaluation results, but the petitioners' results were still not considered.
In its judgment, the court emphasized the need to ensure fairness and transparency in the admission process, especially when students of higher merit are involved. Recognizing the exceptional circumstances, the court invoked its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution to provide justice without disrupting the ongoing admission process.
The court directed the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations to accept the revalued mark lists of the petitioners and recast the KEAM rank list before the commencement of the second allotment cycle. To facilitate this, the web portal will be open for the petitioners to upload their revalued marks on a specified date. The revised ranks will be considered from the next allotment onwards, ensuring that the first allotment remains unaffected.
The ruling underscores the court's commitment to uphold merit and fairness in educational admissions, particularly in cases where students are disadvantaged due to administrative lapses beyond their control.
Bottom line:-
Exceptional circumstances warrant exceptional measures - Relief granted under Article 226 of the Constitution for students adversely impacted by flaws in CBSE revaluation process and delayed results.
Statutory provision(s): Article 226 of the Constitution of India
Farasha Shabnam v. State of Kerala, (Kerala) : Law Finder Doc id # 2941903
