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No relaxation in 75% Class 12 marks rule for IIT admissions, says Joint Admission Board

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Joint Admission Board (JAB) confirmed no relaxation in the 75% Class 12 marks requirement for IIT admissions via JEE (Advanced) 2026.
  • Demands for relaxation arose due to delays in CBSE exam re-evaluation following the new On-Screen Marking system.
  • JAB stated the criterion cannot be lowered as students from 36 different boards participate, but is working with CBSE to resolve affected candidates' issues.

The Joint Admission Board (JAB) has firmly stated that the 75% Class 12 marks requirement for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) through JEE (Advanced) 2026 will not be relaxed. This clarification comes amid growing concerns among students and parents about potential delays in final CBSE results due to the ongoing re-evaluation process after the introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

No relaxation in marks as candidates from 36 different boards are participating.

— Joint Admission Board (JAB)Explaining the decision to maintain the 75% marks criterion for IIT admissions.

JAB, chaired by IIT Roorkee director Kamal Kishore Pant, explained that lowering the eligibility criteria is not feasible because candidates from 36 diverse school boards participate in the admission process. "No relaxation in marks as candidates from 36 different boards are participating," the board stated. They acknowledged that some candidates lost IIT/NIT seats last year due to percentage issues and are in close contact with the CBSE to prioritize resolving the concerns of affected students.

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.

— Joint Admission Board (JAB)Further elaborating on the reasons for not relaxing the eligibility criteria and the commitment to address student concerns.

Earlier, Pant had advised all JEE (Advanced) qualified candidates to participate in the JoSAA counselling 2026, regardless of their Class 12 marks. However, he stressed that final admission would still be contingent upon meeting the prescribed percentage-related eligibility requirements and other conditions outlined in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure. The counselling process, managed by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA), will see qualified candidates competing for 18,951 B.Tech seats across 23 IITs, with approximately one in three candidates expected to secure a seat.

However, the final admission shall remain subject to the fulfilment of the percentage-related eligibility requirements and other applicable conditions prescribed in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure.

— Kamal Kishore PantClarifying that participation in counselling does not guarantee admission if eligibility criteria are not met.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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