3 min readNew DelhiJan 11, 2025 11:25 AM IST
First published on: Jan 10, 2025 at 12:57 PM IST
The Supreme Court Friday permitted students who had dropped out of their courses between November 5 and 18, 2024, to register for the JEE (Advanced), to do so.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih passed the order after noting that a press release by the Joint Admission Board (respondent number 2) on November 5, 2024, said that students who cleared their Class 12 board exams in 2023, 2024, and 2025 would be eligible to take the JEE(Advanced) but this was withdrawn 13 days later. The fresh statement from JAB dated November 18 said only those who clear their Class 12 exam in 2024 or 2025 will be eligible.
Some students had dropped out of their course during this period believing they would be eligible to sit for the exam and cannot now be prejudiced by denying that, the court held.
“It is clear that in the press release dated November 5, 2024, a clear promise was made to the students that those who had appeared for the 12th standard examination in the academic year 2023, 2024, and 2025 would be eligible to appear for the JEE (Advanced) entrance examination. If the students acting on the said representation have dropped from their course with an understanding that they would be entitled to appear for the JEE (Advanced), the withdrawal of the promise on November 19, 2024, cannot be permitted to act to their detriment.”
“In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, without observing anything about the decision on the merits of the decision taken by respondent number 2, we clarify that such of the students who have withdrawn from their courses and dropped out between November 5, 2024, to November 18, 2024, would be permitted to register for the JEE (Advanced) test,” the bench ordered.
Appearing for the Board, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that till this year, students had only two chances. An exception was sought to be made this year but this was rescinded “in the larger interest of the student” after realising that those who were getting three chances were spending most of their time preparing for the courses without concentrating on the courses to which they had already secured admission.
The court said, “We are not considering the wisdom of respondent no 2 in restricting the zone of consideration either for 2 or for 3 years. For valid reasons, if respondent no 2 has restricted the zone of consideration only to 2 years, no fault could be found with the decision.”
NTA GAT-B 2025: Registration process begins at exams.nta.ac.in/DBT (File photo) 
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