Court rules against interference in academic policy, dismisses petitions challenging Kerala's 2026 admission process
In a significant ruling, the Kerala High Court, presided over by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, has dismissed petitions challenging the new normalization methodology adopted in the 2026 admission process for engineering courses in Kerala. The court upheld the government's policy decision to adopt a normalization formula similar to that used in Tamil Nadu, rejecting claims of prejudice and arbitrariness brought forward by students from CBSE schools.
The petitioners, Jomon Jaison and others, contended that the revised methodology, as outlined in the Prospectus 2026, was implemented without adequate expert study and unfairly disadvantaged students from the CBSE board. They argued that the changes were arbitrary and lacked scientific evaluation. However, the court found no evidence of arbitrariness or bias in the new policy.
The court emphasized that judicial review in academic matters is limited to exceptional circumstances where there is clear arbitrariness or malafide intent. It noted that academic policy decisions are best left to the expertise of educational bodies unless there are explicit violations of statutory provisions or the Constitution.
The court further noted that the normalization process ensures impartiality by treating the highest mark obtained in each board as 100%, thereby accounting for varying levels of examination difficulty across different boards. This approach, the court observed, eliminates any undue advantage for students from specific boards.
The ruling referenced several past judgments, including those from the Supreme Court, which advocate for minimal court interference in academic and policy decisions, unless such policies are patently absurd or violate constitutional provisions.
The judgment concluded by affirming the competence of the Internal Committee, composed of education administrators, in reviewing and recommending the normalization methodology. The court found no merit in the petitioners' challenge and dismissed the writ petitions, upholding the government's decision.
Bottom line:-
Judicial review in academic matters is limited to exceptional circumstances. Courts should not interfere with policy decisions unless there is clear arbitrariness, malafide intent, or violation of statutory provisions or the Constitution.
Statutory provision(s): Constitution of India, Article 14, Administrative Law principles, Education Law principles, Judicial Review principles.
Jomon Jaison v. State of Kerala, (Kerala) : Law Finder Doc id # 2919145
