Should 75% rule be lowered to 70% for IIT, NIT admissions amid CBSE answer sheet row?
The CBSE Class 12 answer sheet controversy has reignited debates over the 75% eligibility criterion for IIT, NIT, and IIIT admissions, with students and counsellors questioning its fairness amid evaluation errors. Experts argue that lowering the threshold to 70% could address systemic flaws, though some advocate for targeted relief instead of a blanket policy change.
The CBSE Class 12 answer sheet controversy has sparked a renewed discussion about the 75% eligibility requirement for admissions to IITs, NITs, and IIITs through JEE Main counselling. A student recently alleged that the Physics answer sheet uploaded under his roll number during re-evaluation was not his, highlighting discrepancies in handwriting and responses. Similar issues, including portal crashes, blurred scans, and re-evaluation glitches, have been reported by other students, raising concerns about the reliability of the evaluation process. Critics argue that the rigid 75% cutoff disproportionately affects students who narrowly miss the threshold due to evaluation errors rather than academic performance. Career counsellors and parents now advocate for lowering the benchmark to 70%, claiming it would prevent deserving engineering aspirants from losing admission opportunities because of board-level inconsistencies. The current rule requires general-category students to secure 75% in Class 12 or be in the top 20 percentile of their board to qualify for counselling. Education experts, however, remain divided. Dr Saurabh Kumar, Founder & CEO of Shiksha Nation, argues that the focus should be on fixing CBSE’s evaluation lapses rather than reducing the eligibility criterion. He warns that a blanket relaxation could unfairly benefit students who legitimately met the benchmark while diluting the significance of board examinations. Instead, Kumar suggests fast-tracking re-verification for affected students before JoSAA counselling closes, ensuring provisional admissions for those impacted by systemic failures. The controversy has exposed broader trust issues in the evaluation process, with students questioning the transparency of answer sheet assessments. While some demand immediate policy changes, others emphasize the need for systemic reforms to address the root causes of evaluation discrepancies. The debate underscores the tension between maintaining academic standards and ensuring fairness in admissions amid administrative challenges.
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