On Tuesday, National Testing Agency (NTA) made modifications to JEE Main 2023 eligibility criteria, saying students who are among the top 20 percent to qualify for their respective board exams will also be eligible to take admission after appearing for the Engineering entrance test.

The previous standard required students to secure at least 75 percent marks in Class 12, in addition to a JEE Main rank, to take admission to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Government Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs).

While there is no modification to the current rule of 75% board exam marks for JEE Main-based admissions, NTA has announced this additional criterion that will make students eligible for admission to IIITs, NITs, and other GFTIs.

National Testing Agency said this new rule had been added following representations from stakeholders.

In the notification, NTA said National Testing Agency receives multiple representations from the stakeholders about changes to the criteria of 75 percent marks in the Class 12 examination.

For the candidates who qualify for admission in the IIITs, NITs, and other CFTIs whose admissions are based on the JEE Main ranks, they should have reserved at least 75% marks in the Class 12 examination or be in the top 20 percentile in Class 12 exams conducted by respective Boards.

It added that for SC/ST candidates, the qualifying marks should be 65 percent in the Class 12 examination.

The announcement came on the same day when the Bombay High Court declined to delay the entrance test after hearing a PIL filed by activist Anubha Srivastava Sahai.

The petition has also sought the High Court's direction to remove the 75 percent marks rule from JEE Main this year. The next hearing in this plea is planned for February 21. By then, the first session of the entrance examination will get over.