$~39 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of Decision: 01.04.2026 + W.P.(C) 3859/2026 & CM APPL. 18971/2026 AARUSH JAIN .....Petitioner Through: Ms. Tanya Agarwal Advocate and Mr. Krishna Kumar Keshav Advocate versus NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY AND ANR.

.....Respondent Through: Mr. Sanjay Khanna, SC for R1 Mr. Shashank Bajpai CGSC, Ms. Aashna Mehra, Mr. Vatsal Tripathi, Mr. Govind Singh Chauhan, Ms. Vaishnavstuti, Advs. for R2 CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASMEET SINGH : JASMEET SINGH, J (ORAL

1. This is a writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking the following prayers:-

“a. For a writ, order or direction to Respondents to reopen the fee payment facility/window so as to enable the petitioner – Aarush Jain S/o Ravi Jain (Application No. 260310837798) to pay the requisite fee for JEE (Main) Session 2 to be conducted between 2^nd April 2026 to 9^th April 2026 in terms of public notice dated 1.2.2026 and to accept the fee so paid with the application form and to further immediately issue admit card to the petitioner so as to enable him to appear for the said JEE (Main) Session 2.

b. For a writ, order or direction to the Respondents to accept payment of fee by Aarush Jain S/o Ravi Jain (Application No. 260310837798) through any other alternative mode such as demand draft, NEFT/RTGS etc. for JEE (Main) Session 2 to be conducted between 2^nd April 2026 to 9^th April 2026 in terms of public notice dated 1.2.2026 and to further immediately issue admit card to the petitioner so as to enable him to appear for the said JEE (Main) Session 2. . . .”

2. The brief facts of the instant case are that the petitioner is a JEE aspirant who passed his 12^th board examination on 30.04.2025 and scored 95% marks with the science stream. The respondent No. 1/NTA issued a public notice dated 31.10.2025 inviting online application forms for JEE (Main) – 2026 Session-1. The petitioner submitted application form for the JEE (Main) – 2026 Session-1 and duly appeared for the examination on 23.01.2026.

3. On 01.02.2026, the respondent No. 1 issued a public notice inviting applications for JEE (Main) – 2026 Session-2 providing schedule for application, fee payment and examination dates.

4. In pursuance of this notification, the petitioner desirous of appearing for Session-2 immediately on 03.02.2026 filled the application form for the said examination and made a payment of Rs. 1015.34/- towards examination fee for JEE (Main) – 2026 Session-2 through net banking via his father’s bank account. The receipt generated thereof is important and is reproduced hereunder:-

5. On 17.03.2026, the petitioner logged into JEE (Main) portal to check the status of his admit card and the advance city intimation slip, wherein he was shocked to notice that his application form fee is pending and since it remained unpaid, his application was incomplete and the petitioner was ineligible to participate in the JEE (Main) – 2026 Session-2 examination.

6. Numerous communications were exchanged between the petitioner and the respondent No. 1 with regards to this issue but to no avail. Hence, the present petition has been filed.

7. Ms. Agarwal, learned counsel for the petitioner, states that the petitioner immediately after the release of the public advertisement for the aforesaid examination applied for participation by duly filling the application form and also made payment of the application form fees on 03.02.2026 from his father’s bank account for which the transaction status was shown as “success”.

8. It was only on 05.02.2026, that the aforesaid transaction for the application form fee was reversed and therein the father of the petitioner missed the said reversal of payment.

9. Mr. Khanna, learned counsel for the respondent No. 1, opposes the petition and at the outset states that the respondent No. 1 have highest sympathy for the petitioners but are unable to help the petitioners. He relies upon the JEE (MAIN) 2026 information bulletin and more particularly ser