IITs rule out relaxing 75% eligibility criterion amid CBSE OSM controversy, say 'in touch with board'

Amid growing concerns among students over the CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy, IIT Roorkee has clarified that there will be no relaxation in the 75 percent eligibility criterion for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026. This comes at at time when several students and parents have been demanding a one-time exemption or relaxation in the eligibility requirement, considering alleged discrepancies in CBSE Class 12 results.

Responding to a query on whether IITs were considering lowering or removing the 75 percent criterion this year, IIT Roorkee told ANI that such a move is not feasible as candidates from multiple education boards across the country participate in the admission process.

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"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 lost IIT/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," the institute said.

CBSE Marks Dispute

Many JEE Advanced-qualified candidates have been affected by the ongoing CBSE marks controversy. The issue triggered debate on social media, with students claiming that their board examination performance did not reflect their expected scores. It has raised concerns among engineering aspirants, particularly those aiming for admission to IITs and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), where Class 12 performance continues to play an important eligibility role.

Under the current admission rules, candidates seeking admission to IITs must either secure at least 75 percent marks in Class 12 or be within the top 20 percentile of their respective boards. Students have pointed out that delays in the revaluation process could affect their admission prospects if revised scores are not available before counselling and seat allocation deadlines. Some students have also urged authorities to allow provisional admissions until the revaluation process is completed.

However, IIT Roorkee's statement indicates that the eligibility requirement will remain unchanged for the 2026 admission cycle.