Kamal Ghorui
The Union Government has approved rescheduling of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) 2026 for candidates unable to appear on April 5, which coincides with Easter Sunday. The decision comes after mounting pressure from church authorities and community representatives. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Suresh Gopi, announced the development on Friday, highlighting that the second phase of the JEE exams, scheduled between April 2 and 10, had sparked concerns as it overlapped with Holy Week.Gopi revealed that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing a representation submitted by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos. The Minister said that Pradhan assured him over the phone that students unable to take the exam on April 5 would be given an opportunity to apply for a new date.
Process for students to request rescheduling
Students seeking a change of exam date have been instructed to email their details to jeemain.query@nta.ac.in. The last date for submission of requests is March 28, 2026. Gopi expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education and the central government for acting swiftly in addressing the concerns of students and the community.
Church bodies advocate for religious sensitivity
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), a key body of the Catholic Church in Kerala, had earlier urged authorities to avoid scheduling all-India engineering entrance exams on Christian holy days, including Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.The Centre’s decision reflects growing recognition of religious sensitivities in national-level academic schedules and provides crucial relief for thousands of aspiring engineers.(With inputs from PTI)
