IIT Aspirants Demand Extra Attempt for JEE Advanced 2021

A section of students and academicians are demanding an extra attempt at the IIT entrance exam – Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Advanced. Students have cited several reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic and the education disruption and mental health issues caused by it behind their demand. Students have pointed that due to “insufficient online infrastructure” and lack of guidance and practice, those belonging to rural areas were affected.

They also claim that many students had missed their attempt of sitting at the exam due to lack of public transport facility as a result of lockdown. Several parents have lost their jobs amid the pandemic which impacted the students’ lives, the aspirants wrote taking to social media platform Twitter. They also said that other entrances such as UPSC, CAT, GATE, CA, JEE Main have multiple attempts. “UPSC has six attempts and JEE Main allows candidates to appear for the exam multiple times, then why not JEE Advanced,” ask students.

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Information brochure for JEE Advanced mentions the upper age limit to sit for the exam is October 1, 1996, “what’s the use of it if a candidate is not allowed to appear for two consecutive years,” the letter by the aspirants questioned. The students also highlighted that the question pattern has changed this year which led to confusion and many were not prepared well.

“Out of 2.5 lakh eligible candidates, 1.4 lakh registered for the exams, allowing for a third attempt won’t affect the competition,” the students wrote. Even if it isn’t possible for a third attempt “please let students appear at least twice in JEE Advanced with age limit criteria” by linking their attempts with Aadhar to ensure fair chance is given to the students, the letter read.

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The students said that many of the aspirants belonging from rural areas couldn’t prepare well for the exams thus leading to the lowest cut-off. As per data provided by the aspirants, participation from rural areas decreased by 20 per cent in 2018 and 17 per cent in 2020 and only 50 per cent of the population has access to the internet. Plus, due to lockdown, all book stores were closed.

The results of JEE Advanced 2021 were declared on jeeadv.ac.in on October 15. IIT Kharagpur was the organising institute this time.

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