JEE Main to become multilingual with preference for languages of states with majority applications

The Human Resource Development Ministry plans to conduct the Joint Entrance examination also known as JEE Main in multiple languages. As per media reports, preference will be given to states with the maximum number of applicants for the examination.

The Secretary office of the MHRD has stated that the ministry will be giving preference to the regional languages of the states with the most number of applicants in the last five years. HRD Secretary R Subrahmanyan has stated that since there can be technical limitations in conducting the examination in multiple languages these problems need to be addressed first. He has stated that since JEE Main is held in a computer-based mode there are limitations and the ministry is committed to conducting the examination in multiple languages and the process is expected to take time.

The HRD Office has informed that the National Testing Agency, which is the conducting JEE Main examination will be developing the software in the regional languages.

Giving preference to the maximum number of candidates languages like Marathi and Telugu will be added first to JEE Main. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined with 1.6 lakh followed by Maharashtra which had close to 1.1 lakh applications for JEE Main examinations in April 2019.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had raised concerns over the inclusion of Bengali in the JEE Main examinations. According to data released, less than 20,000 students appeared for the JEE Main entrance examination from the state.

The National Testing Agency will be conducting the JEE Main 2020 examination in English and Hindi but examination centres in Gujarat, Daman, and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli will have questions in Hindi, English ad Gujarati.

While reasoning the inclusion of Gujarati in the examination the NTA in a recently released statement available on the website has stated that none of the states have approached the agency to provide the question paper in the respective regional languages except to Gujarat.

When the CBSE conducted the JEE Main examinations, the questions were available in Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati languages until Urdu and Marathi were withdrawn in 2016.

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