JEE Main 2023: 75% criteria was one-time exemption due to COVID, Govt files Affidavit

JEE Main 2023 aspirants approached the Bombay High Court demanding exemption from 75 percent and top 20 percentile criteria in this year's entrance exam.

The government has submitted its affidavit related to 75 percent criteria for JEE Main 2023 in the Bombay High Court. As per the affidavit, the exemption was given only because of the COVID-19 situation and cannot be provided any further.

Last week government requested more time from the high court to file its affidavit related to reintroducing JEE Main criteria. The National Testing Agency this year reintroduced criteria which were followed before the COVID-19 pandemic in which aspirants of JEE Main 2023 were required to achieve a grade point average of 75 percent or higher in class 12 in order to be considered for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and CFTIs.

As per the affidavit filed by the government, during COVID students were informed that the relaxation is applicable only for that particular year, which was 2021; then again they provided it in year 2022 as an exemption.

Now in 2023, they are not giving any relaxation in JEE Main 2023. it has stated that the JAB meeting was delayed due to COVID, so they informed it on 15th December about reintroducing the eligibility criteria.

The NTA reintroduced the criteria in December 2022, while announcing JEE Main 2023 exam. The NTA in its brochure for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and CFTIs reinstated the eligibility criteria of 75 percent in Class 12 board exams in the JEE Mains 2023 brochure.

Following the announcement, JEE Main 2023 aspirants filed a PIL in the Bombay HC pleading for 75 percent and top 20 percentile criteria to be removed or lowered to 50 percent in this year's entrance exam. The JEE 2023 aspirants pleaded that the marks scored by them are not a true reflection of their actual ability therefore those students with fewer marks than the eligibility criteria (75%) for this year’s examinations can score very high marks in the upcoming JEE Main 2023, and if a fair chance is denied to them that will affect the future of lakhs of students.

Last week, the Advocate General appearing on behalf of the Government requested more time to file the affidavit in the Bombay High Court related to the JEE Main 75 percent criteria.

Following this, the high court fixed the next date of hearing to May 02.

Earlier this month, on April 6, the Bombay HC while hearing the JEE Main 75 percent criteria plea asked the government to submit documents pertaining to 75% criteria when it is applicable and the top 20 percentile to understand how it is going to help if different states have different top 20 percentile.

As per the NTA brochure, in addition to the candidate's All India Rank (AIR), aspirants are required to achieve a grade point average of 75 percent or higher in class 12 in order to be considered for admission. Thereby restoring the previous criteria where a student should either have scored 75 per cent or above in the Class 12 board exam or have appeared among the top 20 percentile candidates of the respective board exam result to get admission in IITs, NITs and CFTIs.

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