IIT Roorkee has denied any relaxation to the 75% Class 12 marks rule for JEE admission 2026 despite the ongoing CBSE marking dispute. However, the institute will allow affected students to participate in JoSAA counseling provisionally, provided they submit a corrected, qualifying scorecard via email by July 15, 2026.
ROORKEE — The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has officially ruled out any lowering or relaxation of the Class 12 aggregate percentage criteria for engineering admissions this academic year. The directive, issued late on June 5, 2026, addresses a growing wave of petitions from engineering aspirants requesting a one-time policy exemption due to the ongoing Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation controversy.
As the nodal organizing institute for JEE Advanced 2026, IIT Roorkee clarified that modifying core eligibility standards mid-cycle is structurally impossible due to the multi-board framework of national engineering entries. However, in a major relief move to secure the futures of high-ranking candidates, the institute has introduced a provisional scheduling adjustment that allows students awaiting board re-evaluation results to actively participate in upcoming JoSAA counseling sessions.
Strict Policy Stance Anchored in Multi-Board Fairness
The structural gridlock stem from intense social media campaigns and parent-led petitions targeting the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Ministry of Education. Dozens of high-scoring candidates, including individuals ranked in the top 1,000 nationally in the newly declared JEE Advanced results, discovered they had missed the baseline 75% aggregate barrier in their school finals—a variance they attribute to deep bugs inside the CBSE’s digital script evaluation networks.
Despite acknowledging the clear academic distress, IIT Roorkee stated via official channels that moving the entry benchmarks at this stage would violate systemic fairness. The institute emphasized that candidates from 36 distinct state and central education boards across India are competing within the exact same Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) ecosystem. Altering the baseline criteria to accommodate anomalies in a single board would invite extensive litigation and create immense operational imbalance for applicants from other jurisdictions who missed out on seats under identical strictures in past years.
Provisional Counseling Route Offers Critical Relief
While firmly holding the line on final aggregate standards, IIT Roorkee has introduced a critical compromise framework. Under this updated directive, students who have successfully cleared the JEE Advanced cutoff but currently hold Class 12 scorecards falling under the required thresholds are legally permitted to log in and lock their preferred branch choices during the initial counseling phases.
To protect the integrity of the admission cycle, this concession functions strictly as a provisional asset:
Provisional Allotment: Seats will be provisionally assigned based purely on the candidate's common rank list (CRL) standing.
Submission Deadline: Candidates must submit an officially updated, revised board scorecard meeting the baseline criteria by July 15, 2026.
Confirmation Window: Final confirmation of the seat will occur against the allocation assigned at the conclusion of the fourth counseling round, provided the validated board marksheet is received via the dedicated portal (orgjee@iitr.ac.in).
Official Sources Section
According to formal communications published on the official JEE Advanced Portal, the baseline statutory requirements remain non-negotiable. To claim an engineering seat at any IIT, National Institute of Technology (NIT), or Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), an applicant must satisfy two distinct tracks:
Track 1: Secure an aggregate score of at least 75% (65% for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Persons with Disabilities categories) in their Class 12 or equivalent examination.
Track 2: Alternatively, place within the top 20 percentile of successful candidates within their specific regional education board.
IIT Roorkee confirmed that a total of 179,694 candidates appeared for both papers of the entrance test on May 17, 2026, with the general category qualifying cutoff finalizing at 92 marks out of 360.
Quote Section
In a formal press statement distributed via news agency ANI, the IIT Roorkee organizing committee clarified the institutional framework behind the decision:
"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 and NIT seats mainly due to percentages. Hence, lowering is not possible. However, we are in close touch with CBSE and will try to resolve this for all those affected candidates on priority."
Why It Matters
For thousands of high-achieving high school graduates caught in the crossfire between digital evaluation errors and elite engineering admissions, this adjustment prevents the immediate loss of a critical academic year. By allowing provisional choice-filling, IIT Roorkee ensures that students who eventually win their re-evaluation appeals with the CBSE do not find themselves locked out of top-tier courses simply because the corrected marksheet arrived after the closing dates of initial seat allocations.
Key Facts at a Glance
Exemption Denied: IIT Roorkee has rejected all demands for a one-time lowering of the 75% Class 12 eligibility threshold for JEE admission 2026.
Counseling Entry Open: Affected candidates scoring below 75% can still register and fill in course preferences during initial JoSAA counseling.
Hard Deadline Set: A corrected, passing board marksheet must be emailed to the organizing institute by July 15, 2026, to finalize any provisional seat.
System Integrity: The institute noted that these entry parameters were announced in advance in December 2025 across all 36 active school boards.
CBSE Coordination: IIT authorities are working directly with the central school board to fast-track verification applications for engineering aspirants.
FAQ Section
Q1: What happens if my CBSE re-evaluation results are declared after July 15?
If a candidate fails to submit an official revised marksheet confirming they have crossed the 75% barrier (or 65% for reserved categories) by the July 15 deadline, their provisional seat allocation will be canceled automatically.
Q2: Can I use the top 20 percentile rule if my raw score is below 75%?
Yes. The eligibility guidelines allow for a dual path. If your total percentage is under 75% but your official board certificate confirms you are within the top 20 percentile of successful students in your specific state or central board for 2026, you fulfill the criteria.
Q3: How do I submit my corrected Class 12 marksheet to IIT Roorkee?
Once the CBSE or your respective regional board issues your revised, digitally signed scorecard, you must forward it immediately to the official organizing committee email address at orgjee@iitr.ac.in with your JEE Advanced roll number clearly noted in the subject line.
Source: IIT Roorkee Official Press Releases, JEE Advanced Nodal Brochure 2026, and Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) Operational Guidelines.
