1. The petitioners are the students of Intermediate Course. The admission into professional courses, like Engineering, Medicine, B. Pharmacy, is on the basis of Common Entrance Examination, conducted by the State. The Government in Higher Education Department issued G.O. Ms. No. 73, Higher Education (EC.2) Department, dated 28.7.2011, prescribing the Rules to be followed in the matter of conducting the entrance examination, and matters relating thereto. The rules inter alia stipulate the procedure for determining the merit list and assignment of ranks. Rule 4(7) stipulates the qualifying marks in the entrance examination, as 25%. Rule 5(1) directs that a candidate shall be assigned rank on the basis of a combined score obtained by giving 75% weightage to the marks secured in the entrance examination and 25% weightage to the marks secured in the relevant group subjects in the qualifying examination. The petitioners contend that once the rank is to be assigned on the basis of the weightage to the marks in the entrance examination and qualifying examination, there is no basis for prescribing the minimum marks in the entrance examination.

2. The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Univ