Overview
- The Kerala High Court dismissed challenges to the 2026 prospectus on June 8 and found no arbitrariness in the state’s decision to change the normalisation method.
- Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said courts should not replace academic policy choices unless a rule is shown to be arbitrary, unconstitutional, or patently unreasonable.
- Under the new formula the highest mark in each subject for each board is treated as 100 and other candidates’ marks are scaled proportionately to that top score.
- Petitioners argued the change was made without an expert study and could prejudice CBSE students, while the government said the earlier system often produced downward mark revisions and the internal committee recommended the switch.
- One petition by Class 12 students was held not maintainable for lack of standing, and the court relied on Tamil Nadu precedent in approving a method that will now govern KEAM rank lists and admissions for thousands of aspirants.