The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is set to conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) in multiple languages with preference to states with the maximum number of applicants. Marathi and Telugu are the definite choices with the most number of applicants coming from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
“The MHRD will give preference to the regional languages of states with more number of applications in the last five years,” the secretary's office communicated to The Indian Express. Going by the maximum number of candidates, Marathi and Telugu would be added first in the JEE Main. From Maharashtra, 1.1 lakh applications were received from April 2019 exam. while from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the combined number of candidates stood at 1.60 lakh. While the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised concerns over the inclusion of Bengali in JEE Main, the data shows that less than 20,000 students appeared for the entrance test from the state. Earlier, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the JEE Main in Marathi, Gujarati and Urdu languages till 2014, but withdrew Urdu and Marathi in 2016.
HRD secretary R Subrahmanyam stated that there can be technical limitations in conducting JEE Main in multiple languages. “Since JEE Main is held in a computer-based mode, there are some limitations which need to be addressed, first. We are committed to conducting JEE Main in multiple languages and the process will take time,” Subrahmanyam commented. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will have to develop software in regional languages, the HRD office informed.
The NTA is set to conduct the JEE 2020 in English and Hindi. However, for the centres in Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the languages would be English, Hindi and Gujarati. Explaining the inclusion of Gujarati, NTA said the translation of JEE Main question paper in this language continued on the state’s request. None of the other states has approached the agency to provide the question paper in their regional language.
