Gujarat High Court Directs IIT Guwahati To Accept Student's Application For JEE Advanced After 'Technical Glitch' Allegedly Wipes Answers Of Main Exam

The Gujarat High Court today directed the IIT Guwahati to accept the application of a candidate for JEE Advance examination whose answer sheet for JEE Mains examination indicated that he has purportedly not attempted even a single question.

The single judge bench of Justice Sangeeta K. Vishen observed that the result placed on record at page 7 vis-a-vis result page 52 are difficult to believe as it is, "considering the fact that the sheet downloaded from the link at page 7, the student has attempted all the questions. Whereas, the sheet at page 52, indicates that the student, has not attempted a single question. Therefore, both the response sheets, give an extreme indication which, is difficult to believe.”

A petition was filed before the court by the father of the candidate stating that his son had appeared and was made available the response sheet uploaded on the official website - which  was downloaded at around 07:03 a.m. on April 20, according to which, he has attempted all the questions.

However, what was downloaded at around 01:15 p.m. on April 20, 2023, indicated that the student, has not attempted a single question.

Advocate Dhaval D. Vyas, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the reason behind could be the technical glitch which has wiped off the answers attempted by the students.

Advocate K. V. Shelat, the counsel appearing for the National Testing Agency (NTA), submitted that as per the link provided, the student has not answered a single question. It was further submitted that the link provided on April 27, 2023, is only official link which the NTA has sent. So far as the other links i.e. page 7 and page 52 are concerned, they are not at all the links relatable or the official link, it was submitted.

He further submitted that the NTA has issued the work order of deploying the CCTVs at all the examination centers of JEE Mains. It was further submitted that the CCTV records are in the office of the service provider which can be retrieved with due process being confidential in nature and for which, two weeks’ time would be required.

The court directed the NTA to file an affidavit and also asked it to make available the videography of the examination centre in which the petitioner’s son appeared for the JEE mains examination.

“In the meantime, the newly added respondent (IIT Guwahati) is directed to accept the application of the student (son of the petitioner) for JEE Advance examination. Merely filing of an application, shall not create any equity in favour of the student i.e. son of the petitioner," said the court.

The court clarified that the arrangement is without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the respective parties and would be subject to further orders that may be passed by this Court.

Since the examinations of JEE Advance are scheduled to take place on June 04, the court directed to list the matter on May 29.

Case Title: Keyush Subhasbhai Patel v. National Testing Agency

Click Here to Read/Download Order