The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea seeking admission to IIT Delhi on the basis of alleged errors in the evaluation of JEE (Main) 2025. Justice Jasmeet Singh held that sympathy or possible academic hardship cannot replace the eligibility conditions prescribed for IIT admissions.
Background
The petitioner, Ashi Agarwal, had appeared in JEE (Main) 2025 and secured 85.9241340 percentile. She alleged discrepancies in the evaluation of five questions and claimed that she had been deprived of 25 marks. She also challenged being prevented from appearing in the second session of JEE (Main) 2025 after she became unwell at the examination centre. According to her, correction of the alleged errors could have enabled her to qualify for JEE (Advanced).
The petitioner subsequently sought directions for preservation of her academic year and consideration for admission to IIT Delhi, including through a supernumerary seat. The respondents opposed the plea, arguing that the disputed examination issues involved technical and factual questions and that the petitioner did not satisfy the eligibility requirements applicable to JEE (Advanced) 2026.
Justice Jasmeet Singh noted that the Court, while exercising writ jurisdiction under Article 226, does not ordinarily re-examine disputed technical questions relating to examination records. The alleged discrepancies in audit logs, evaluation, percentile calculation and the circumstances surrounding the petitioner’s non-entry into Session-II required factual examination which could not be undertaken in the present proceedings.
The Court also considered Criterion A4 of the JEE (Advanced) 2026 Information Brochure. It required candidates to have appeared for Class XII for the first time in 2025 or 2026, subject to specified exceptions. The petitioner had first appeared for Class XII in 2024 and therefore did not satisfy this requirement.
The Court observed:
“Sympathy or the possibility of an academic loss cannot substitute for satisfaction of the eligibility requirements prescribed for admission to the IITs. The Court is required to apply the governing framework uniformly, unless a legally sustainable basis for deviation therefrom is established.”
The Court held that the petitioner could not use the alleged loss of her 2025 opportunity to bypass the eligibility requirements applicable to JEE (Advanced) 2026. It further held that admission in the 2026 academic session could not be based on the JEE (Main) 2025 result and that creation of a supernumerary IIT seat could not be granted as an ordinary consequential relief.
Accordingly, although the petition was held not to be barred by res judicata, the Court found no ground to interfere with the rejection order dated May 18, 2026.
The consequential reliefs, including preservation of the academic year and consideration for IIT admission, were denied.
Case Details
Case Title: Ms. Ashi Agarwal v. Union of India & Ors.
Case Number: W.P.(C) 7955/2026
Judge: Justice Jasmeet Singh
Decision Date: October 1, 2026
