The request of 67 students seeking a relaxation in the JEE Advanced criterion of “Two attempts in Two consecutive years” has been dismissed by the Delhi High Court. The plea was filed in order to enable Class 12 pass-outs or its equivalent in 2021 to take the exam even if they did not appear in the exam twice or even once in 2021 and 2022. The students claimed that they were in a similar position to the Class 12 pass-outs of 2020 who were allowed to take the exam. However, the court issued a notice to the Centre and other stakeholders during a hearing on the plea on March 7, but ultimately dismissed the request, according to an official statement.
According to the submission made, none of the petitioners utilised the two attempts allowed in two consecutive years for JEE. The petitioners, who passed their Class 12 boards or equivalent in 2021, are currently preparing for the JEE (Mains) and (Advanced) 2023 to secure admission to the IITs. The plea highlighted the severe mental stress, anxiety, depression, and financial distress faced by Class 12 pass-outs of 2021 due to the deadly Delta Covid wave. The petitioners argued that their education was already severely affected by the Covid outbreak in 2020 for more than a year, the statement mentioned.
Additionally, the unclear covid situation prompted many students to resort to online coaching, which was not as effective as in-person coaching. The plea also mentioned the international concern over the disparity in online education. Moreover, the plea pointed out that even the offline batches were shifted online during the Omicron Covid outbreak in January 2022, further exacerbating the inequality in education. The petitioners argued that the pandemic had adversely affected them, it added.
The plea mentioned that the students who passed out of Class 12 in 2020 were allowed to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2022 without having appeared in JEE (Advanced) 2021 or 2020, or neither, due to the Covid-19 hardship. The petitioners highlighted that the Covid-19 wave in 2021 was also acknowledged to have caused hardship to students. The petitioners asserted that the Class 12 pass-outs of 2021 should be treated similarly to those of 2020 as their studies were equally impacted by the Covid-19 wave. They contended that the differential treatment by JAB towards the Class 12 pass-outs of 2021 amounted to a violation of Article 14 of the constitution, the statement said.
With inputs from ANI.