Students fill JEE forms twice, hassle testing agency

The software will automatically sense duplication of information submitted by candidates. Students need not worry as the system is foolproof. VINEET JOSHI, director general (NTA)

MUMBAI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) received thousands of duplicate application forms for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains-2, to be held in April, despite clear instructions from the authority.

Since for the first time, JEE is being conducted in two phases, several students are now worried that their mistake of filling the application form twice may cost them a chance at appearing for the examination.

“I registered for the JEE Mains-1 and appeared for the examination in January. But, to be able to appear for the JEE Mains-2, I ended up filling an application form again because of some network error. I hope NTA does not reject my forms,” said Anirudha Ashwin, a Class 12 student from Powai.

NTA, which had recently uploaded a circular reiterating that multiple application forms will automatically be rejected, refused to comment on the exact number of duplicate applications. However, figures seems to be above 70,000 at present, officials said. However, Vineet Joshi, director general, NTA told HT that only the duplicate application forms of students will be rejected. “The software will automatically sense the duplication of information submitted by the candidate and select only a single form for the examination in the end. Students need not worry because the system is foolproof,” Joshi said.

This is the first time JEE Mains, which determines admissions to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) and other engineering colleges, are being conducted in two phases (in January and in April). The JEE Mains website had already mentioned instructions for all candidates who register for the examination where it clearly mentions—“multiple application forms submitted by a candidate will be rejected.”

However, after receiving various questions from several candidates, NTA shared another circular on their website which said,“in case, any candidate is found to be filling up multiple applications, all such applications will be rejected, without intimation.”