The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted three CBSE Class‑12 candidates—including one studying in the UAE—the right to upload their re‑evaluated marks on the KEAM (Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical) portal. However, the court stipulated that any admission based on the revised rank list will be effective only from the second allocation round, ensuring the first round remains untouched.

Background

The students filed writ petitions arguing that inclusion of their re‑evaluated scores would dramatically improve their KEAM 2026 ranks. They contended that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released the re‑evaluation results after the KEAM rank list was already published on June 27, effectively denying them a rightful position.

Changes to the KEAM Rank List

The state government had already shifted the rank‑list publication date twice to accommodate CBSE candidates and set June 23 as the deadline for uploading re‑evaluated marks. It maintained that the final rank list, released on June 27, should remain final, especially since the allocation process began on July 8.

High Court Verdict

Disagreeing with the government, the court described the situation as “undoubtedly exceptional” and asserted that “exceptional circumstances warrant exceptional measures.” It highlighted numerous flaws in the CBSE answer‑sheet valuation—swapped sheets, blurry scans from a new digital system, and other technical glitches—none of which were attributable to the candidates.

Next Steps

The court ordered the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations, Kerala, to accept the re‑evaluated marks if uploaded by 12:30 pm on July 13 and to recast the rank list before the second allocation round commences. No other candidate’s re‑evaluated marks will be permitted, and the petitioners will not benefit from the first allocation.

Why This Matters?

This ruling not only restores fairness for the affected students but also reinforces the integrity of merit‑based admissions across Kerala. It signals a need for tighter quality controls in board‑level evaluation to prevent similar disruptions in future admission cycles.