IITs to relax admission criterion due to partial cancellation of class 12 exams: HRD minister

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has decided to relax admission criterion regarding class 12 marks this year in view of partial cancellation of exams by various boards due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Friday.

For admissions to IITs, apart from qualifying the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-Advanced, the candidates are required to secure either minimum 75 per cent marks in class 12 board exams or rank among the top 20 percentile in their qualifying examinations.

While JEE-Mains is conducted for admission to engineering colleges across the country, it is considered as a qualifying test for JEE-Advanced.

"Due to the partial cancellation of class 12 exams by several boards, Joint Admission Board (JAB) has decided to relax the eligibility criterion for JEE (Advanced), 2020, qualified candidates this time.

"Qualified candidates who have passed class 12 examinations will now be eligible for admissions irrespective of marks obtained," the HRD minister said in a series of tweets.

Key school boards, including the CBSE and CISCE, cancelled their remaining class 10 and class 12 exams amid growing concerns over student safety in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases.

The boards have announced their respective results using alternative assessment schemes based on performance in exams already conducted or internal assessment.

The JEE Mains examination, which has been postponed twice, will now be held from September 1-6, while JEE Advanced, which is conducted by the IITs, is scheduled to be held on September 27.