JEE-M: AP students top the list, UP No. 2

MUMBAI: Andhra Pradesh took pole position this year in sending the maximum qualifying candidates through JEE (main) for the Advanced examination to enter the IITs. Maharashtra has jumped to the third spot below Uttar Pradesh, pushing large coaching hubs like Telangana and Rajasthan lower down.
Unlike previous years, many candidates may not have registered this time for JEE in the state where they are being coached. For instance, hundreds of students from Mumbai would take the exam in Rajasthan. But the pandemic made it difficult this time. That may explain Maharashtra’s rise. It has probably recorded its best improvement in five years, said an IIT dean.
However, the disparity between the more successful states and the ones that have fewer shortlisted candidates remains. The top five (AP, UP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana) contribute over 1.26 lakh of the 2.45 lakh students, or 50% of those who have qualified for JEE (Advanced).
According to an National Testing Agency (NTA) official, a larger pool is still getting selected from states with large organised coaching centres like Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kota and Sikar.