JoSAA 2026 75% Criteria Row Intensifies; Students Ask IIT Roorkee to Extend July 15 Marks Submission Deadline

The debate over the Class 12 eligibility criteria for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has intensified during the ongoing JoSAA 2026 counseling process. Thousands of engineering aspirants across the country are now demanding an extension of the July 15 deadline set for submitting revised Class 12 marksheets.

The issue emerged after IIT Roorkee, the organizing institute of JEE Advanced 2026, clarified that candidates who currently do not meet the required board examination marks criteria can still participate in the JoSAA 2026 counselling process. However, such candidates must submit a revised marksheet showing that they have achieved the required eligibility marks by July 15, 2026.

While the clarification initially brought relief to many students, it has now sparked fresh concerns as candidates argue that the deadline is too short and may prevent deserving aspirants from benefiting from the relaxation.

What Is the JoSAA 2026 75% Marks Requirement?

For admission to IITs through JEE Advanced, candidates belonging to the General, OBC-NCL, and EWS categories must secure at least 75% aggregate marks in their Class 12 examination. Candidates from SC, ST, and PwD categories must obtain at least 65% aggregate marks.

Many students who qualified JEE Advanced 2026 have scored below these thresholds in their board examinations. Several of them have already applied for re-evaluation, scrutiny, verification, or improvement examinations conducted by their respective boards.

To address concerns raised by such candidates, IIT Roorkee clarified that they may continue participating in JoSAA counselling, fill their choices, and receive seat allotments according to their JEE ranks. However, final admission will only be confirmed if they submit a revised scorecard meeting the eligibility criteria before the prescribed deadline.

Students Welcome Relief but Raise New Concerns

Although the announcement was viewed as a positive step, many candidates believe the relief is incomplete because of the July 15 deadline.

Students from different state boards and national boards have pointed out that re-evaluation processes are still ongoing. In several cases, improvement examinations are scheduled close to or even after the middle of July. As a result, many candidates fear they may not receive their revised results before the deadline.

Social media platforms have witnessed widespread discussions regarding the issue. Students and parents have urged IIT Roorkee and JoSAA authorities to consider extending the deadline so that candidates awaiting revised results are not excluded from the admission process.

Many aspirants argue that the objective of the relaxation is to help deserving candidates who performed well in JEE Advanced but narrowly missed the Class 12 eligibility marks. They believe the current timeline may defeat that purpose.

Why Are Candidates Seeking More Time?

One of the major reasons behind the demand for an extension is the varying schedules followed by different education boards.

Several boards are still processing applications for answer-sheet verification and rechecking. Others are conducting compartment or improvement examinations during June and July. Since the release of revised marksheets often takes weeks after these processes conclude, students fear that obtaining the updated documents before July 15 may not be possible.

Students have highlighted that they have no control over how quickly boards declare revised results. Therefore, they believe the deadline should be aligned with board examination schedules rather than fixed independently.

According to candidates, extending the deadline by a few weeks could allow more deserving students to meet the eligibility criteria and secure admission based on their JEE Advanced performance.

Demand for Review of the 75% Rule

The controversy has also revived discussions around the 75% eligibility criterion itself.

Some students have suggested that authorities should reconsider the requirement altogether. They argue that admission to IITs is primarily based on performance in one of the country’s toughest entrance examinations, JEE Advanced.

Many candidates believe that a student who has demonstrated strong academic ability by qualifying JEE Advanced should not lose admission opportunities due to a marginal shortfall in board examination marks.

Others have proposed lowering the eligibility threshold for all categories. These suggestions have gained attention on social media, where aspirants continue to discuss possible alternatives to the current rule.

However, as of now, there has been no official announcement regarding any modification to the existing eligibility criteria.

What IIT Roorkee Clarified

IIT Roorkee has made it clear that candidates who are below the required marks threshold should not withdraw from JoSAA counselling.

The institute stated that eligible JEE Advanced candidates can continue with registration, choice filling, and seat allocation procedures. Their participation in counselling will not be blocked because of pending re-evaluation or verification requests.

However, candidates must eventually satisfy the prescribed board examination marks requirement.

Authorities have stated that revised scorecards meeting the required eligibility conditions must be submitted by July 15, 2026. Only then can admission be finalized.

JoSAA 2026 Counselling Currently Underway

The JoSAA 2026 counselling process is currently in progress for admissions to IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other participating institutes across India. Candidates are filling choices based on their JEE Main and JEE Advanced ranks.

JoSAA serves as the centralized admission platform for undergraduate engineering admissions across more than 130 participating institutes. The counselling process includes registration, choice filling, seat allotment, document verification, and fee payment.

The current controversy has emerged at a crucial stage of counselling, as students are actively making decisions regarding their preferred institutes and courses.

What Candidates Should Do Now

Experts advise students affected by the marks issue to continue participating in JoSAA counselling without delay.

Candidates should complete registration, fill and lock their preferred choices, and regularly monitor updates from their respective education boards regarding re-evaluation and improvement examination results.

Students awaiting revised marks should also keep all necessary documents ready so that they can submit updated scorecards immediately after results are announced.

Most importantly, candidates should closely follow official notifications issued by JoSAA and IIT Roorkee regarding any future changes in eligibility timelines.

What Happens Next?

At present, no official extension has been announced for the July 15 marks submission deadline. However, growing pressure from students, parents, and education experts may prompt authorities to review the timeline if a significant number of candidates are unable to receive revised marksheets before the deadline.

For now, the JoSAA 2026 counselling process continues as scheduled. Students who fall short of the required Class 12 marks remain hopeful that authorities will consider their concerns and provide additional time to submit revised results.

Until an official decision is announced, aspirants are advised to proceed with counselling while continuing efforts to secure the required board examination marks. The coming weeks are expected to be crucial in determining whether the July 15 deadline remains unchanged or receives an extension in response to the growing demand from students across the country.

Written by Simran

Simran is currently working as a Senior Content Writer at Findmycollege , where she creates engaging and research-driven learning resources for students. She has completed her Graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. With 4 years of experience in the EdTech industry, she has previously contributed to leading platforms like Leverage Edu and Aakash. Her expertise lies in simplifying Engineering and Medical entrance exam content to guide aspirants in their preparation journey. Beyond writing, Simran enjoys sketching, watching movies, and finding creative inspiration in everyday life.

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