JEE Main eligibility: Bombay HC grants NTA more time to file affidavit

The Bombay High Court on Monday gave more time to the National Testing Agency (NTA) for filing an affidavit in the plea challenging eligibility criteria of minimum 75% marks in Class XII to appear for the JEE Mains exam.

According to the PIL filed by Anubha Sahai, many candidates are from batches that were assessed on the basis of performance in the previous years as board exams were cancelled due to COVID.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne adjourned the public interest litigation (PIL) after Advocate Rui Rodriges, appearing for the Centre, sought additional time to submit a response. Rodrigues said that the NTA is collating data from various years and not just from the agency's records hence it requires more time.

When the Advocate sought time till May 2, Justice Gangapurwala said, “That will be too late, we also need time to decide. Can it not be heard on Thursday (April 27)?”

The bench also mooted the extent to which it can intervene in the matter. “Unless it is an exceptional case, how far we can intervene in the education case, we will have to see,” added Justice Gangapurwala.

Earlier, the HC had rejected the prayer for postponement of JEE Mains 2023 examination. Session 1 was conducted as scheduled from January 24-31, while session 2 was held early April.