JEE Advanced 2026: IIT Roorkee Rejects 75% Board Marks Relaxation Amid CBSE Row

Top Summary

• What happened: IIT Roorkee has officially declined to lower the 75% eligibility criteria for JEE Advanced 2026 admissions.
• Why it matters: Students fear losing their engineering seats due to alleged marking discrepancies in CBSE's newly introduced evaluation system.
• What changes: The strict 75% Class 12 marks or top 20 percentile rule remains completely mandatory for admission.
• Who is affected: Engineering aspirants aiming for IITs, NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs who are currently falling short of the required board percentage.

No Relief for Engineering Aspirants

Candidates hoping for a relaxation in the 75 per cent Class 12 eligibility requirement for admission to IITs and NITs will not receive any leniency. IIT Roorkee, the organising institute for JEE Advanced 2026, has confirmed that the existing admission rules will continue without change.

The demand for a one-time exemption gained massive traction on social media. This surge occurred after multiple students reported securing high ranks in the JEE exam but missing the mandatory Class 12 board percentage by narrow margins.

CBSE Marking Controversy Sparks Protest

The primary driver behind the students' protest is the CBSE's newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for board evaluations. Many candidates have alleged major discrepancies in their final scores under this system.

In response to these concerns, anxious students have actively sought relief. Many have already taken steps to apply for marks verification, request photocopies of their answer sheets, or seek complete re-evaluation of their exams.

IIT Roorkee Clarifies Rigid Stand

Addressing the demands, IIT Roorkee explained that modifying the admission rules at this stage is impossible. The institute highlighted that candidates from 36 different education boards participate in the highly competitive admission process.

“No relaxation in marks as candidates from 36 different boards are participating. We published this criterion almost in December,” the organizing institute stated.

IIT Roorkee also pointed out that relaxing the rules would be unfair to past candidates who lost their seats for failing to meet the identical criteria. However, the institute confirmed it is addressing the situation proactively.

“We are in close touch with CBSE and will try to resolve this for all those affected candidates on priority,” IIT Roorkee added.

Understanding the Current Admission Criteria

The current guidelines mandate specific academic benchmarks for candidates aiming to secure a seat in top-tier technical institutions:

• Candidates must score at least 75 per cent marks in their Class 12 board exams.
• Alternatively, they must place within the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective education boards.
• These criteria apply strictly to JEE Advanced for IITs, as well as JEE Main for admissions to NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs).

What to Watch Next

Affected students must now wait for the final results of the CBSE verification and re-evaluation process. For those standing just below the margin, these revised board scores will ultimately decide if they remain eligible for engineering admissions this year.