The Introduction of a New Rule in JEE by Maharashtra Government Sparks a Row: No Help to Engineering Aspirants?

In the wake of the decision taken by the Maharashtra government, a sense of illusion has clouded the engineering aspirants of the state miserably.  If everything goes as by the new directive of the government, then the students will have to appear for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) from 2014-2015 academic session for admission to first year engineering courses.
The students are particularly confused about the eligibility criteria.

According to confirmation coming straight from Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), engineering aspirants scoring zero or negative marks in JEE are eligible. However, they will require to score at least 50% aggregate (45% for reserved category) in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) group in their board exams.

MHT-CET was used till last year for the admission and any non-zero score would suffice the eligibility of the candidates.

Will the latest amendment in JEE prove any help to students already struggling for the coveted seats? The question has sparked a row among all engineering aspirants and their parents alike.

“Though some decisions are pending with the government, one thing is clear: the PCM marks in board would be taken into the consideration along with JEE Mains score. The merit list would be based on 50% weightage to both JEE and board exam marks,” Subhash Mahajan, technical education director was quoted as saying to the media.

Addressing to the confusion among parents following the new rule in JEE, he advised them all to visit the DTE website for accurate details.
“A Government Resolution (GR) was issued on October 31, 2012, that clarified everything. It also made it clear that marks of JEE (Advance) would not be taken into the consideration. For students hailing from other boards like CBSE/ICSE, their score would be converted into percentile as per norms of Indian Statistical Institute,” he added.

He clarified that “even admissions to autonomous colleges would be made through JEE score and there would be four rounds of centralized admissions process (CAP) that will begin after HSC results declaration.”
Commenting on the latest decision, Gulab Thakre, Joint Director for Technical Education, Nagpur, said that students scoring less than 50% would be disqualified outright.
“Till last year, the eligibility criteria were 45% aggregate for open category and 40% for SC/ST in Class XII board exam. It has been changed to 50% PCM aggregate this year,” he said.

Some officials believe that the latest amendment in the existing JEE eligibility criteria will lead to the increasing number of vacant seats in the campuses this year. According to authentic sources, there were over 52,400 seats that were remained vacant in Maharashtra’s 365 colleges.

It is also believed that the latest decision will only disappoint parents and students alike and might force the government to take the decision back.
New eligibility norms for engineering admissions

1. Candidates must appear JEE Mains
2. Even zero or negative score in JEE would be enough
3. JEE Advanced score would not be taken into account
4. Should score at least 50% marks in PCM (45% for SC/ST) in board exam
5. 50% weightage each for JEE and PCM marks (board) while preparing merit list
6. Admission to autonomous colleges also to be made through JEE score
7. DTE to conduct four rounds and no separate round for autonomous colleges