A new low: Applications for JEE-Mains plummet
9.41L ASPIRANTS Turnout has been lowest since introduction of exam in 2013 MUMBAI:Applications
for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-Mains has hit an all-time low, since its introduction in 2013, with only 9.41 lakh students registering for the exam in 2019. This is a drop of more than 2 lakh aspirants from 11.40 lakh candidates who had applied for the exam this year. A candidate’s score in JEE (Mains) determines his eligibility for the JEE-Advanced exam, which a single-window entrance exam for admissions to the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Shalabh, professor, IIT-Kanpur and organising chairperson of JEE-Advanced 2018 attributes the dip to other lucrative career choices. “The demand for engineering seats has been on a decline. Over the last few years, students have been showing more sensibility and have refused to be a part of the rat-race. The fierce competition among IIT aspirants has forced more students to find other career options over the traditional engineering and medicine fields,” he said.
He added that the difficulty in getting the IIT and subject of choice is also causing a fall in the numbers. “Mostly, only those students who are interested in entering an IIT apply for the JEEMains. Over the years, the odds of getting an admission in an IIT and the course of choice has become so low that students don’t see any The decision to conduct exams in two phases was taken to reduce cheating and manipulation during exams
Aspirants appearing in both cycles 2016 2017 2018 January cycle While the difficulty level and the exam pattern will remain similar to the last few years, the exam will be conducted only in the online format April cycle
point in going through the stress and struggle,” he added.
While the lower demand for engineering courses could be one of the reasons for this decline in registrations for JEE-Mains, experts also felt that online admissions could be another factor discouraging students against registering for the exam.
“Many engineering aspirants are from rural India, with no access to computers to appear for mock tests. This could have been another reason for the sharp decline in applications,” said Pravin Tyagi founder-director of Pace Junior Science Colleges.
The registrations stood at 11.86 lakh in 2017. Students will be allowed to appear for either or both of the exam cycles and can choose their best performance to be eligible for admissions. pen-and-paper format
1.65 lakh opted for the online format, while 9.56 lakh students opted for the pen-and-paper format for this year’s JEE-Mains exam.
2019 ASPIRANTS CAN APPEAR TWICE
From 2019, a JEE-aspirant will have the choice of taking the exam twice (January and April cycles). While the difficulty level and exam pattern will remain similar to last few years, the exam will be conducted only in the online format.