Tamil Nadu: Madras HC recalls order allowing JEE-pass students in B Arch – Times of India

CHENNAI: Two days after permitting JEE pass students to participate in Tamil Nadu B Arch counselling, Madras high court on Wednesday vacated the interim order, saying it would bring the entire admission process to a grinding halt.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh decided to vacate the interim order dated October 25, as the Council of Architecture, the statutory body to regulate the profession, informed the court that the Tamil Nadu government denied permission for JEE students to participate in the counselling only as per the instructions of the Council.
On October 25, the court directed Anna University to permit candidates who have cleared JEE (Main) also to participate in counselling for B Arch course 2021-22. The court passed the order while hearing two pleas that the state has denied permission for JEE students to participate in the counselling all of a sudden.
They submitted that as per records till the academic year 2020-21, candidates who qualify in the aptitude test conducted by the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) as well as candidates who qualify in the aptitude test conducted by JEE were considered eligible to participate in the admissions to B Arch in Tamil Nadu.
However, when the prospectus was issued for the academic year 2021-22, all of a sudden, the NATA examination marks alone were taken into consideration for the B Arch course, they said.
“This goes completely against the information bulletin published by the National Testing Agency, which makes it very clear that the JEE (Main) Examination Paper II is conducted for admission to B Arch and B Planning courses in the entire country,” they added.
Therefore, Tamil Nadu cannot wriggle out of the obligation by not permitting the students who have undergone JEE (Main) Test to participate in the admission, they said.