The Delhi High Court has refused to interfere with the authorities’ decision not to hold re-examination of JEE Advanced for the candidates who could not attempt the entrance test due to their COVID-19 positive status.

Justice Jayant Nath stated it is a settled legal position that normally, it would be wise and safe for the courts to leave the decisions of academic matters to experts who are more familiar with the problems they face than the courts generally.

The high court dismissed a petition by an IIT aspirant, who had obtained a rank in the top 96,187 general category candidates in the JEE Mains examination held in September this year but could not sit for the JEE (Advanced) examination on September 27 as he tested COVID-19 positive on September 22.

He further added that he wrote to the Organising Chairman of IIT-Delhi, explaining his position and seeking accommodation/relaxation to another date for taking this examination.

He also contacted the examination centre in Jaipur where he was informed that there were no arrangements for a COVID-19 positive student to appear in the examination.

The plea emphasized the eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced is that a candidate can appear only two times in two consecutive years. Hence, he will lose a chance of getting admission into prestigious institutions like IITs.

Pursuant to the court’s earlier order, the Joint Admission Board, comprising 46 eminent professors from different IITs, held a meeting to consider if another examination or re-examination could be held for aspirants who could not attempt the test due to their coronavirus positive status.

The minutes of the meeting conducted by the Board noted that there were numerous hurdles in conducting a re-examination and it was decided not to go for it.

However, it was agreed in the meeting that all the candidates who had successfully registered for JEE Advanced 2020 but were absent in the exam, can appear in JEE Advanced 2021 as a one-time measure.

Those candidates will not have to qualify JEE Mains 2021 and will be allowed to directly appear in JEE Advanced 2021 and there would also be proportionate relaxation of age bar. 

After noting the Board’s decision, the high court stated that, there are no cogent reasons for this court to interfere in the decision of the Joint Admission Board dated October 13. There is no merit in the present petition and the same is dismissed.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.