The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, which is the organising institute for JEE Advanced 2026, has firmly declined demands from students and parents for a one-time relaxation of the 75 percent eligibility criterion for IIT and NIT admissions through JEE Advanced and JEE Main. The institute confirmed in an official statement to news agency ANI on June 4, 2026, that changing the eligibility criterion at this stage is “not possible” as candidates from 36 different boards across India are participating in the admission process.
The demand had gained momentum across social media platforms after several students who secured competitive JEE ranks reported that they had narrowly fallen short of the 75 percent Class 12 requirement — allegedly due to evaluation errors and discrepancies linked to CBSE’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
The Exact IIT Roorkee Statement to ANI
IIT Roorkee stated: “No relaxing 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.”
Current Eligibility Rules for IIT and NIT Admissions
| Institution | Minimum Class 12 Requirement |
|---|---|
| IITs (through JEE Advanced) | 75% aggregate or top 20 percentile in respective board |
| NITs, IIITs, GFTIs (through JEE Main) | 75% aggregate or top 20 percentile |
| SC/ST candidates (all institutions) | 65% aggregate |
This requirement was temporarily removed during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021 and 2022) but was fully reinstated from 2023 onwards.
IIT Roorkee’s Assurance to Affected Students
Despite rejecting eligibility relaxation, IIT Roorkee added: “We are in close touch with CBSE and will try to resolve this for all those affected candidates on priority.” This indicates the institute is working with CBSE to ensure re-evaluated marks are updated in the system before the JoSAA counselling seat allotment process.
What Affected Students Should Do
- Apply for CBSE post-result services immediately at @cbse.gov.in
- First apply for the scanned copy of your answer book
- Then apply for verification of marks or re-evaluation as appropriate
- Ensure re-evaluated results are reflected before JoSAA Round 1 on June 13, 2026
- Contact CBSE helpline at 1800 11 8004 if urgent resolution is needed
