JEE Mains 2023: Education Ministry mulls relaxation in eligibility criteria as students seek postponement
Students across the country have been demanding relaxation in eligibility criteria for JEE Mains 2023. Student representatives have filed a petition in the Bombay High court seeking the removal of the criteria which demands exam takers to have minimum of 75 per cent marks in 12th board exams.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is mulling relaxation in eligibility criteria for JEE Mains, especially the requirement of 75 per cent marks in 12th board exams.
In a response to Member of Parliament Karti Chidambaram, the Minister wrote, “Thank you for your letter dated 2nd December 2022 and 15th December 2022, regarding a one-time exemption to relax the eligibility criteria for all students appearing for the JEE Main and advanced exams in 2023. The matter has been sent to the concern department for necessary action.”
It is worth noting that students across the country have been demanding relaxation in eligibility criteria for JEE Mains 2023. Student representatives have filed a petition in the Bombay High court seeking the removal of the criteria which demands exam takers to have minimum of 75 per cent marks in 12th board exams. They are also demanding the postponement of the January session of the JEE Mains exam.
Student claim that the January leg of the exam, which starts on January 24, clashes with their pre-board exams which will hamper their board exam preparation. The petitioners have requested to shift the exam after the CBSE boards in March.
The Bombay High Court has demanded the petitioners to prove the ‘unfairness of the exam’ in the next hearing. The court is scheduled for an additional hearing on January 10, Tuesday.
The students' cause was given a voice by MP Chidambaram who wrote to the education minister twice requesting one-time relaxation in the mandatory requirement of 75 per cent marks in the 12th board exams. The MP noted that due to several reasons that were out of the control of the students like last-minute changes in exam centers and natural calamities, many students would become ineligible for the engineering entrance exam.
He wrote, “I would like to bring to your attention concerns raised by students who appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains and Advanced in 2022. These aspirants studied hard to secure an admission into India’s leading engineering institutes, however, several hurdles which were completely outside their control, denied them a fair opportunity at the exam.”
Despite the ongoing tussle between students and the authorities, the registration for JEE Mains 2023 is in process and the window will close on January 12. The January session of the exam will be conducted on 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 of the same month across India by the National Testing Agency (NTA). (Business Today) reports
