JEE Main Reservation → JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria establish reservation rules for students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), OBC-NCL along with Women Candidates, Person with Disability (PwD) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
The booking of seats through JEE Main Exam is additionally founded on State of Eligibility (from where the applicant has showed up for the passing test).
This follows the boundaries identified with Home State and Other State Quota concerning admissions offered by the colleges.
For instance, if an applicant scores a position of 1200 and has a residence (domicile) of Delhi then he can apply through his/her home state share. With the rank that student gets to attain in JEE Main Exam, assuming they apply for NIT Delhi through home state quota, the odds of getting a seat in that school are on the positive side.
Highlights of JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria
Given below are some key highlights for the JEE Main 2026 reservation.
- The government of India has set the JEE Main Eligibility has reservation rules.
- Candidates belonging to the categories, tribes, of classes will be considered eligible for admission under reservation criteria. The reservation criteria are mentioned in the central list by the Indian government.
- Candidates can apply to IITs, NITs, and GFTIs as well based on these reservation criteria.
- Besides category wise reservation, candidates can also apply for admission to these institutes based on state reservation quota in their native states.
JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria - Category-wise
Check the category-wise reservation criteria for JEE Main below.
- Each category mentioned will have 5% reservation for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) as per the definition in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act 2016).
- Telangana state holds 3 state quotas namely Home State Quota, Andhra Pradesh State Quota, and Other State Quota.
- 5% of the total reserved seats are reserved for female candidates in all the participating institutions.
- Candidates belonging to reserved categories will also be given a concession in application fees. They can apply for the same while filling the JEE Main Application Form.
- In the National Institutes of Technology, 50% of the total seats are reserved under Home State Quota and rest 50% seats are under another state quota.
- For mentioned reserved categories, vacant home state quota seats have been converted to All India Seats.
Below mentioned is the reservation percentage of the mentioned categories for admission via JEE Main Reservation -
Categories | JEE Main Reservation Percentage |
Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer – NCL, where the annual income of family < Rs. 8 lakh) | 27% |
General Economically Weaker Section (General- EWS) | 10% |
Person with Disabilities (PwD) (Within Every Category) | 5% |
How to Claim JEE Main Reservation 2026?
To claim the JEE Main reservation the following steps must be followed.
- Candidates must mention their category and the other relevant details while filling the JEE Main 2026 Application Form.
- They must also present the relevant and valid certificates for verification purpose at the time of JEE Main Counseling.
- In case candidates do not provide the required documents, they will be considered under unreserved category.
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 for Women
- JEE Main female aspirants can apply under the All India Lever or Women Quota System. Most of the colleges reserve 5% of the total seats for female candidates.
- Some of the colleges also offer relaxation in admission for girls based on their percentage of marks.
- In case the cutoff is around 98% for a particular course, a female candidate can apply for the same seat at around 93%.
- Female candidates belonging to PwD category can have an additional 3% relaxation.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 for PwD Category
The categories of benchmark disabilities (PwD) are mentioned below:
- (i) Blindness and low vision
- (ii) Deaf and hard of hearing
- (iii) Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
- (iv) Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
- (v) Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (i) to (iv)
- (vi) Other ‘specified disabilities' mentioned in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016.
“Specified Disability” means the disabilities as specified in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016.
Facilities of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant
- Candidates with benchmark disability can seek facility of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant. This facility has limitation in writing such that speed.
- Candidates with benchmark disabilities in the category of blindness, locomotor disability, and cerebral palsy the facility of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant shall be given if asked by the candidate.
- Candidates falling under other category with benchmark disabilities, the provision of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant can be offered on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical restriction to write.
- The order further allows the candidate to choose their own scribe/reader provided the qualification of the scribe is one step below the qualification of the candidate taking the examination.
- The candidate with bench-mark disabilities choosing their own scribe/reader should submit details of their own scribe.
- Twenty minutes per hour time off as per duration of examination also will be allowed to the candidates who are availing the power of scribe/reader/lab assistant.
- Candidates are advised to seem for the small print regarding the reservation policy at the time of admission.
JEE Main 2026 EWS Quota
Check the detailed reservation criteria for EWS quota below.
Why behind the move?
- This move came after the 124th Amendment Bill in the Constitution of India, which was passed in the January meeting of the Parliament.
- As per this, 10% reservation in positions and training having a place with the General amount applicants will be allowed to the EWS competitors.
Who falls under the EWS category?
- Persons who are not covered under the plan of booking for SCs, STs, and OBCs Whose family has a gross yearly pay underneath Rs 8 lakh
Who can't get to the EWS category?
- Notwithstanding what the family pay is, if the competitors fall under any of the accompanying, they can't profit the advantages of EWS portion:
- Candidates whose families own 5 sections of land of farming area or more.
- Candidates who own a private flat of 1,000 sq. ft. or more.
- Candidates whose guardians have a private plot of 100 sq. yards or more in advised districts.
- Candidates whose guardians own a private plot of 200 sq. yards or more in zones other than the told regions.
Where to get an ‘Income and Asset Certificate' from?
Following is that the rundown of the equipped specialists who can give an 'Pay and Asset Certificate':
- District Magistrate/Additional District Magistrate/Collector/Deputy Commissioner/Additional' Deputy Commissioner/five star Stipendiary Magistrate/Sub-Divisional Magistrate/Taluka Magistrate! Leader Magistrate/Extra Assistant Commissioner
- Chief Presidency Magistrate/Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/Presidency Magistrate
- Revenue Officer not beneath the position of Tehsildar
- Sub-Divisional Officer or the reality where the applicant as well as his family ordinarily dwells
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 in State Universities
The reservation criteria in state universities depend on the reservation criteria defined by the state.
Quota | Reservation Criteria |
Home State Quota | Candidates of JEE Main who have passed class XII from a particular state and have cleared the examination will come under home state quota. These candidates will get preference in admission to the institutes of that state as compared to those who are from other states. |
Other State Quota | This comprises JEE Main candidates who are applying from other states and union territories, apart from the home state. |
JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria of Seats in Different Institutes
The reservation criteria for admission to IITs, NITs, CFTIs, and GFTIs have been defined by these respective institutes. Below mentioned are the reservation criteria for these institutes.
Name of Premier Institutes | Reservation Criteria |
NIT (Other State Quota) | 50% seats reserved for candidates belonging to all other states and Union Territories excluding Home State. |
NIT (Home Quota) | 50% seats are reserved |
Centre Funded Technical Institutes | Based on Home Quota/ State Quota/ All India Quota |
State Funded Technical Institutes | |
IIIT | |
Government Funded Technical Institutes | Based on All India Quota |
State Engineering Colleges | Based on State Quota |
JEE Main 2026 Eligibility for Different State Quotas
We have mentioned the eligibility of candidates for different state quotas in NITs, IIEST, and two other GFTIs are provided in the table given below.
Institute Name | Quota | Eligibility |
All NITs except NIT Warangal, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur | Home State Quota | Candidates whose home state is same as the state in which the institute is located |
Other State Quota | Candidates whose home state is different from the state in which the institute is located | |
Assam University, Silchar | Home State Quota | Candidates whose home state is Assam |
All India Quota | All candidates (including home state candidates) | |
NIT Warangal | Home State Quota | Candidates whose home state is Telangana |
Other State Quota | Other States candidates (including Andhra Pradesh) | |
Andhra Pradesh Quota | Candidates whose home state is Andhra Pradesh | |
NIT Goa | Home State Quota | 40% for candidates whose home state is Goa and vacant seats, if any, from the 10% quota of UTs of Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep. |
Other State Quota | Candidates belonging to other states. |
JEE Main 2026 Documents Required for Reservation
SC, ST, OBC, PwD and GEN- EWS candidates are required to produce original certificates issued by the competent authority at the time of Seat Allocation Process as well as at the time of admission.
Authorities empowered to issue SC/ST Certificate are -
S. No. | Authorities |
1 | District Magistrate/ Additional District Magistrate/ Collector/ Deputy Commissioner/ Additional Deputy Commissioner/ Deputy Collector/ I Class Stipendiary Magistrate/ City Magistrate/ Sub- Divisional Magistrate/ Executive Magistrate/ Extra Assistant Commissioner (not below the rank of I Class Stipendiary Magistrate) |
2 | Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Presidency Magistrate |
3 | Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar |
4 | Sub- Divisional Officer of the area where the candidate and/or his family normally resides. |
5 | Administrator/ Secretary to Administrator/ Development Officer Lakshadweep Islands. |
6 | M.L.A. of the concerned constituency (Circulated vide No. 1/19/94- RCI/6045 dated 15.7.94) |
Authorities empowered to issue certificate for backward classes are -
S. No. | Backward Classes |
1 | Sub- Divisional Officer (C) |
2 | Executive Magistrate |
3 | Tehsildar |
4 | Naib Tehsildar |
5 | Block Officer |
6 | District Revenue Officer (Circulated vid No. 2/223/79-SWL/4337 dated 8.6.90) |
7 | M.L.A. of the concerned constituency (Circulated vide No. 1/19/94- RCI/6045 dated 15.7.94) |
