KEAM | Kerala High Court Permits Students Wrongly Awarded Class 12th Marks To Upload Corrected Marksheets

The Kerala High Court recently directed the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations to extend the time limit for uploading Plus Two Examination marks of 33 students of St. Paul’s Public School, Thrissur for the KEAM-2023 (Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical) Entrance Exam.

A single bench of Justice P V Kunhikrishnan passed the order after 33 pointed anomaly in the Mathematics internal/practical marks awarded to them by the school. The students had sought a direction for issuance of fresh mark sheets incorporating the correct marks and extension of time limit to upload their marksheets in the portal for the KEAM-2023 entrance examination.

In an interim order passed on June 5, the Court had warned the School that if the students’ grievance is not redressed, the recognition of the school would be cancelled.

“The 4th respondent-school in consultation with CBSE should redress this grievance. If it is not redressed, this Court will be forced to cancel the recognition of the school,” the Court had said in its interim order.

The Court had also directed the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations to give the students a time extension of 3 days to upload their corrected marksheets.

“The 5th respondent will give three days more time to upload the mark of the qualifying examinations in the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case.”

Subsequently, the Counsel for CBSE had submitted before the Court that necessary steps will be taken. The Court in its order dated June 7 stated that students should not be made to suffer due to the mistake of the school authorities:

“I am of the considered opinion that the CBSE also should take necessary steps thinking the future of the students. Admittedly there is mistake on the part of the School. For the mistake of the School Authorities, the students should not suffer.”

Accordingly, the School Authorities requested the CBSE to allot double marks to the petitioner students in their maths internals. Consequently, the students’ marks were revised on a pro rata basis to their theory marks.

“the learned Standing Counsel appearing for the CBSE submitted that the competent authority of the Board has considered the request of the school for revision of internal assessment marks in the Mathematics and decided to give marks on pro rata of the theory marks. It is also informed that the 25 students' internal assessment marks have been increased positively whereas 3 students' internal assessment marks are decreased. However, the same was not given effect treated as no change in the interest of the student. Other 5 students were not changed any mark on pro rata basis is the submission,” the Court noted.

Subsequently, the students were directed to upload their modified marksheets in the candidate portal.

Case Title: Jeffin Jose T V The Central Board of Secondary Education

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (2023) 263

Click here to read/download order