Super 30 students filed petitions against JEE exam for higher fee

Super 30, well-known for helping economically backward students crack the IIT entrance exam, petitioned Union HRD ministry, against JEE (joint entrance examination) going online from 2014 for the main exam and charging Rs 1000 more from those applying offline.

"This (going online) is heavily loaded in favour of the rich and the elite students and will affect the talented students from poor families as access to computers for them is still a luxury," Super 30 founder Anand Kumar said in a letter send to Union HRD minister Pallam Raju.

A copy of the letter has been marked for CBSE chairman. For 2014 admissions, the online application will commence from November 15.

JEE (Main) online application submission will start from November 15, 2013 and will end on December 16, 2013.

Kumar said the number of schools having computer access is very low and schools where students actually get to use computers are even lower.

He demanded that the charge for offline applications should be decreased to Rs 600 and instead the online applicants' charges could be raised to Rs 1000 from Rs 600.

"These (online applicant) well off children can easily pay them by cutting expense on ice-creams." Anand Kumar has been providing free lodging, boarding and education to 30 students from poor economic background.

His institution has won accolades in the country and outside for its results in the IIT entrance examinations since its inception in 2002. This year 28 out of 30 students from Super 30 qualified for the IITs.

PTI