JEE student seeks IIT Delhi seat over marks dispute, Delhi High Court rejects plea

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a JEE student seeking admission to IIT Delhi, ruling that eligibility criteria cannot be relaxed on grounds of sympathy or academic hardship.Justice Jasmeet Singh delivered the verdict on a petition filed by candidate Aashi Agarwal, who had alleged errors in the evaluation of the JEE Main 2025 examination.STUDENT ALLEGED MARKS WERE DEDUCTEDAashi had claimed that she was awarded fewer marks than she deserved and alleged that at least 25 of her marks were deliberately deducted. She had sought admission to IIT Delhi based on these claims.The student had previously lodged a complaint with the National Testing Agency (NTA), which was responsible for the evaluation, as well as the organisers of JEE Advanced 2026. Her complaint was dismissed, following which she challenged the decision before the High Court. COURT SAYS RULES CANNOT BE RELAXEDIn its judgment, the High Court clarified that academic authorities cannot be directed to deviate from existing rules, standards or brochure criteria solely on the grounds of sympathy or a student's personal difficulties.The court also rejected Aashi's claim that 25 marks had been deliberately deducted, terming the allegation baseless. While hearing the matter, the court found discrepancies between the NTA's audit logs and the student's claims. It held that these issues did not fall within the scope of a writ petition and, therefore, could not be reviewed by the court.Earlier, in May 2026, the court had directed that the student's representation be considered. However, she was not granted permission to appear for the exam, and authorities later completely rejected her complaint.The High Court subsequently dismissed her petition seeking admission to IIT Delhi.- Ends