HC refuses to postpone JEE main scheduled for Jan 23

The Bombay high court on Tuesday refused to postpone JEE main, scheduled to be held on January 23, saying a sudden change in the date would create a problem for students

The Bombay high court on Tuesday refused to postpone JEE main, scheduled to be held on January 23, saying a sudden change in the date would create a problem for students. It, however, posted the hearing on the challenge to the requirement of 75% marks in HSC for admissions to Indian Institutes of Technology on February 21.

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The petitioner, advocate Anubha Sahai, told a division bench of acting chief justice S V Gangapurwala and justice Sandeep Marne that the students had written their college exams in November last year and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had on December 15 announced the JEE main date.

Considering that they had barely 40 days to prepare for another exam, it should be put off to April, Sahai said, adding the second attempt, which is usually held in April, could be conducted in May.

Replying to a query from the bench, additional solicitor general Anil Singh, representing NTA, said in 2019 and 2020, JEE main was held in January and April while it was held in February, March, April and May in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Singh further said postponing the exam at this stage would have an adverse impact on lakhs of students.

Advocate Joseph Thate, appearing for the petitioner, contended that those who had only two attempts left out of the possible four would be at a disadvantage if the exam was not postponed.

After hearing the submissions, the bench said, “JEE main is held twice. Even if a student does not fare well in January, they can appear in April and the higher marks obtained in either of the attempts are considered. It is not disputed that the schedule of exam in January and April is applicable across the country.”

“If any orders are passed today directing postponement of the January date, it may have a cascading effect on future exams too. The extraordinary circumstances do not appear to exist for restraining the respondents from holding the exam,” the HC said.

When Thate insisted that the bench consider the situation of the students who had passed class XII in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the bench said, “This exam is to be held in lakhs of centres. Your PIL may affect 50,000 students, but not five lakh candidates.”

The bench declined to interfere with the date, and also directed the petitioner to file a reply to the affidavit by NTA regarding the mandatory 75% HSC marks.