KEAM 2025 results: Kerala boy who lost top rank following HC order to join IIT Gandhinagar, calls for fair formula

The month could not have begun on a better note for John Shinoj. He topped the KEAM 2025 when the results were published on July 1. His parents, teachers, and friends showered him with congratulatory messages. A week later, he saw his rank slip from 1 to 7. The High Court had directed the state government to cancel the amendment in the prospectus and to do away with the new formula. With the government revising the list based on an old formula, many students from the state syllabus saw their ranks take a hit.

When he checked the revised KEAM rank list on Thursday night, surrounded by his family, he was at peace with what awaited him. But he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. It was a whirlwind week for him. From the moment the teachers at K E Mannanam School called to tell him he was the topper, he was flooded with phone calls, messages, and felicitation events. Friends and family celebrated his success. Even after the rankings were revised, he is still busy attending events, and for those who know him, he remains the topper.

“I’ve scored well in both the entrance exam and Class 12, so I’m okay. I was a little upset at first, but many other students are also in a similar situation. I hope the government considers a fairer formula next year, for everyone’s sake,” says John, a native of Kallorkad in Muvattupuzha. But he doesn’t let this minor setback discourage him. He is now preparing to begin a new chapter at IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat, where he will pursue electrical engineering.

“This was the government’s decision; we have no choice. But the new formula is unfair to students from the state syllabus. Even with full marks, they can’t make it to the top. It’s not just my son—his classmates’ ranks also dropped just because they studied in the state syllabus,” says his father, Shinoj.

The family had expected his rank to be in the top 25 and were overjoyed when he came first. When the ranking method was overturned, they prepared themselves for the worst. It was a little disappointing initially, but they gradually accepted the outcome. “If the rank had been seventh from the start, it would’ve been fine. Still, people keep calling to congratulate him,” says his mother, Aneeta Thomas.

John’s father works with BSNL, while his mother is an Assistant Professor at Viswajyothi College of Engineering and Technology. He has a younger brother in Class 8 and a sister in Class 5. John was inspired by his parents, both electrical engineering graduates, and decided to follow in their footsteps. His siblings, too, are interested in engineering, though they plan to decide after Class 10.

The rank list revision came after CBSE students challenged the state’s standardisation formula in court.