No Relaxation in 75% Eligibility Criterion for IIT Admissions Amid CBSE Evaluation Row
NEW DELHI — In a crucial update for engineering aspirants across the country, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) and IIT Roorkee have categorically ruled out any one-time relaxation in the minimum Class 12 marks requirement for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) through JEE (Advanced) 2026.
The clarification comes amidst mounting anxiety and demands from students and parents seeking temporary relief due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) evaluation process.
The Core Controversy: CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM)
The demand for a relaxation of the eligibility criteria gained significant momentum following the introduction of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system this year. Following the declaration of Class 12 board results, numerous students, particularly from the Science stream, reported unexpectedly low scores that they felt did not reflect their actual performance.
Reports of blurred scans, unchecked responses, and inconsistencies in the digital evaluation process led to a surge in applications for marks verification, photocopies of answer books, and re-evaluations. Students who successfully secured competitive ranks in the highly demanding JEE Advanced feared that a marginal shortfall in their board aggregate—allegedly due to these evaluation discrepancies—would cost them their hard-earned IIT seats.
Official Stance: Uniformity Across 36 Boards
Responding to the growing appeals for a temporary waiver, the Joint Admission Board, chaired by IIT Roorkee Director Kamal Kishore Pant, stated that diluting the eligibility norms is not feasible. IIT Roorkee is the organizing institute for JEE Advanced 2026.
The JAB emphasized that the admission process involves candidates from 36 different educational boards across the country, making it impossible to alter the baseline criteria to address an issue specific to a single board.
The official statement noted:
“No relaxation in marks as candidates from 36 different boards are participating. We published this criterion almost in December, and last year there were candidates who lost IIT/NIT seats mainly due to percentages. Hence, lowering is not possible; however, we are in close touch with CBSE and will try to resolve this for all those affected candidates on priority.”
The Existing 75% Rule Explained
Under the current rules governing IIT admissions, candidates who qualify the JEE Advanced must also satisfy one of the following Class 12 academic requirements:
- Secure a minimum of 75% aggregate marks in their Class 12 board examinations (the requirement is 65% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates).
- Rank among the top 20 percentile of successful candidates within their respective school boards.
A similar baseline criterion applies for admissions to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) through JEE Main. While this requirement was temporarily waived during the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since been strictly reinstated.
The Path Forward in JoSAA Counselling
Despite the firm stance on the academic cutoff, authorities have advised all JEE Advanced qualified candidates to actively participate in the ongoing Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counselling process, regardless of their current Class 12 percentage status. The registration and choice-filling window remains open until June 11, with seat allocation taking place across five rounds until July 21.
However, final admissions will remain strictly contingent upon meeting the percentage-related eligibility requirements outlined in the JEE Advanced 2026 brochure. As the JoSAA process advances, affected CBSE students are closely watching the board’s re-evaluation outcomes, hoping that revised scores will be processed in time to secure their eligibility.