The Union government has approved the rescheduling of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) 2026 for candidates who are unable to appear on April 5, which falls on Easter Sunday. The decision came after mounting pressure from church officials and community representatives. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and 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 raised concerns as it overlapped with the Holy Week.Gopi revealed that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, quoting representations made by Cardinal Basilios Clemis Catholicos. The minister said the Pradhan assured him over the phone that students unable to take the exam on April 5 would be given an opportunity to apply for the new date.
Process for students to request rescheduling
Students wishing to change the exam date are directed to email their details to jeemain.query@nta.ac.in. Last date for submission of applications is 28 March 2026. Gopi thanked the Ministry of Education and the Union Government for acting swiftly to address the concerns of students and the community.
Church institutions advocate religious sensitivity.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), a key body of the Catholic Church in Kerala, had earlier urged authorities to avoid scheduling the All India Engineering Entrance Exams on Christian holy days, including Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.The Centre’s decision reflects the growing recognition of religious sensitivities in national-level education schedules and provides significant relief to thousands of aspiring engineers.(with inputs from PTI)
