The JEE Main reservation system plays a crucial role in providing fair access to top engineering institutions like NITs, IIITs, and CFTIs. In 2026, over 10 lakh candidates are expected to sit for JEE Main, and almost 50% of the total seats in all participating institutions are reserved for different categories of candidates, such as SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD candidates.
This system is formulated to bridge the educational gap and provide opportunities to the underprivileged and marginalized sections of society. For example, seats reserved for GEN-EWS are 10%, for OBC-NCL are 27%, for SC are 15%, for ST are 7.5%, and for PwD are 5%. Furthermore, this reservation quota extends beyond the central institutions and is affected by state-specific quotas while determining seat allocation in regional colleges. JEE Main Reservation Criteria for Different States
Also Check:
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For Gen-EWS
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For OBC-NCL
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For SC
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For ST
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For PwD
- JEE Main Reservation 2026 in State Universities
- JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 in NITs
- How to Claim JEE Main Reservation?
- JEE Main Reservation: Documents Required
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026
The JEE Main reservation system is governed by the rules prescribed by the Government of India to ensure equitable access to education. Reserved seats are allocated to specific categories, with eligibility determined by government-issued guidelines. Below is a breakdown of the reservation criteria for JEE Main 2026:
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| General-Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS) | 10% |
| Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 5% (within all categories) |
- General (Unreserved) Seats: Candidates who do not qualify for any reservation category (e.g., creamy layer OBC or non-eligible GEN-EWS) are considered under the unreserved category and compete for OPEN seats.
- Certificate Validity: All certificates must be in the prescribed format and valid as per the guidelines issued by the respective authorities.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For Gen-EWS
Reservation Percentage: 10% of seats in every course.
Eligibility:
- Only candidates belonging to the General category who meet the criteria specified in the Office Memorandum No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II, dated January 17, 2019, issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, are eligible.
- The income and asset conditions outlined in the memorandum must be satisfied.
- The criteria for GEN-EWS reservation will be as per the latest government notifications and norms.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For OBC-NCL
Reservation Percentage: 27% of seats in every course.
Eligibility Conditions:
- Candidates must belong to OBCs listed in the current central list of OBCs, accessible at NCBC Website.
- OBCs listed only in the state list but not in the central list are not eligible for this reservation.
- The non-creamy layer condition must be satisfied. Candidates falling in the creamy layer of OBC are not eligible for reservation and will be treated as General (unreserved) candidates.
- The criteria for OBC-NCL reservation follow government notifications.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For SC
- Reservation Percentage: 15% of seats in every course.
- Eligibility: Reserved for candidates who belong to communities listed as Scheduled Castes under the Indian Constitution.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For ST
- Reservation Percentage: 7.5% of seats in every course.
- Eligibility: Reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Tribes as recognized by the Indian Constitution.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 For PwD
- Reservation Percentage: 5% of seats in each category (General, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST).
- Eligibility:
- Candidates must have a benchmark disability of 40% or more.
- The disability certificate must be issued by a recognized medical authority in the prescribed format.
Facility of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant
- The facility of Scribe/Reader/Lab Assistant should be allowed to any person with benchmark disability and has limitations in writing including that of speed, if wanted by him/her.
- In case of persons with benchmark disabilities in the category of blindness, Locomotor disability (both arm affected-BA) and cerebral palsy, the facility of scribe/reader/lab assistant shall be given, if so desired by the person.
- In case of other category of persons with benchmark disabilities, the provision of scribe/reader/lab assistant can be allowed on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation 5 to write, and scribe is essential to write examination on his behalf, from the Chief Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon/Medical Superintendent of a Government health care institution.
- The order further allows the candidate to opt for 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 opting for their own scribe/reader should submit details of their own scribe.
- Twenty minutes per hour compensatory time as per duration of examination will also be allowed to the candidates who are availing the facility of scribe/reader/lab assistant.
- Candidates are advised to look for the details regarding the reservation policy at the time of admission.
JEE Main Reservation 2026 in State Universities
JEE Main 2026 reservation criteria in state universities will depend on the reservation criteria followed by the state.
| 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 Reservation Criteria 2026 in NITs
According to the reservation criteria for JEE Main, 50% of the seats in NITs are reserved under the home state quota for eligible candidates, and the rest 50% is left for candidates from other states.
Union Territories And Home State Quota in NITs
| Union Territories | NITs |
|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | NIT Puducherry |
| Lakshadweep | NIT Goa |
| Daman and Diu | NIT Goa |
| Dadar and Nagar Haveli | NIT Goa |
| Chandigarh | NIT Delhi |
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 for NIT Warangal and Goa
Candidates can check the JEE Main Reservation Criteria for their home state and other state quotas of NIT Warangal and NIT Goa in the table below
| Name of the NIT | Quota | Eligible candidates |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Warangal | Home State Quota | Candidates belonging to Telangana claim reservation under this quota |
| Other States Quota | Candidates belonging to other states and those belonging to Andhra Pradesh, both can apply for admission under this quota | |
| Andhra Pradesh Quota | Candidates belonging to the state of Andhra Pradesh can apply for admission under this quota. | |
| NIT Goa | Home State Quota | Candidates belonging to Goa have 40% reservation of seats. In case of further vacancy of seats, 10% of seats are filled by candidates from Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep |
| Other States Quota | Candidates of Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep can apply for admission |
How to Claim JEE Main Reservation 2026?
- It is mandatory to mention the category and its details in JEE Main 2026 Application Form.
- Present the relevant and valid certificates for verification at the time of JEE Main 2026 Counselling
- If a candidate does not provide the required documents - they will be considered under unreserved category.
JEE Main Reservation 2026: Documents Required
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 | Scheduled Castes |
|---|---|
| i) | 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) |
| ii) | Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Presidency Magistrate |
| iii) | Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar |
| iv) | Sub- Divisional Officer of the area where the candidate and/or his family normally resides. |
| v) | Administrator/ Secretary to Administrator/ Development Officer Lakshadweep Islands.(Circulated vide No. 2/223/79- SWL/4337 dated 8.6.96) |
| vi) | M.L.A. of the concerned constituency (Circulated vide No. 1/19/94- RCI/6045 dated 15.7.94) |
Authorities empowered to issue certificates for backward classes are:
| S. No. | Backward Classes |
|---|---|
| i) | Sub- Divisional Officer (C) |
| ii) | Executive Magistrate |
| iii) | Tehsildar |
| iv) | Naib Tehsildar |
| v) | Block Officer |
| vi) | District Revenue Officer (Circulated vid No. 2/223/79-SWL/4337 dated 8.6.90) |
| vii) | M.L.A. of the concerned constituency (Circulated vide No. 1/19/94- RCI/6045 dated 15.7.94) |
FAQs
Question 1. Is there a reservation in JEE Mains?
Answer- Yes, JEE Main has a reservation system implemented by the Government of India. Seats are reserved for candidates belonging to different categories based on the rules specified in the RPwD Act and government notifications.
Question 2. Which category is reserved in JEE Mains?
Answer- The reservation categories in JEE Main include:
-
General-Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS): 10% of seats.
-
Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL): 27% of seats.
-
Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% of seats.
-
Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% of seats.
-
Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 5% across GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST categories.
Question 3. Which caste has the highest reservation in JEE?
Answer- The Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) category has the highest reservation, with 27% of seats reserved.
Question 4. I am a defense service personnel (or former defense service personnel). Can my child get a seat under the DS category?
Answer- Not all defense service personnel's children are eligible for DS category seats. DS category seats are reserved for children of defense / paramilitary personnel killed or permanently disabled in action during war or peacetime operations. A certificate issued by a competent authority in the Directorate of Resettlement and Rehabilitation, New Delhi under the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India is required to be eligible for DS category.
JEE Main 2026 Reservation FAQs
Question 1. How many candidates registered for JEE Main 2026?
Answer- Approximately 13.78 lakh candidates registered for JEE Main 2026 Session 1 (January Session), showing an increase of 1.6 lakh from last year. The attendance rate was 94.4%, with 13 lakh students appearing for the exam. For Session 2 (April Session), around 9 lakh candidates have registered.
Question 2. Is the 75% criteria removed for JEE Main 2026?
Answer- No, the 75% criteria for Class 12 remains applicable for admissions to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. General category candidates need 75% in Class 12, while SC/ST candidates need 65%.
Question 3. Is the Aadhaar Card mandatory for JEE Main 2026?
Answer- No, Aadhaar Card is not mandatory. Candidates can use any government-issued ID like Passport, Voter ID, or Ration Card.
Question 4. Is a caste certificate required for JEE Main 2026 registration?
Answer- No, caste certificates are not required during registration. However, they must be uploaded during the counseling process.
Question 5. Who is eligible for JEE Main 2026?
Answer- Eligibility criteria for JEE Main 2026:
- Age Limit: No age limit; candidates must have passed Class 12 in 2023, 2024, or be appearing in 2026.
- Educational Qualification: Must have passed Class 12 with at least five subjects.
- Subjects for B.E./B.Tech: Physics, Mathematics, and one of Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/Technical Vocational subject.
- Subjects for B.Arch: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
- Subjects for B.Planning: Mathematics (mandatory).
Question 6. Can I give JEE if I failed in Class 12?
Answer- Yes, candidates can attempt JEE Main if they pass their Class 12 in a later attempt. However, for IIT admissions, 75% marks in Class 12 are required.
Question 7. Can I get an NIT with 92 percentile in the OBC category?
Answer- Yes, a 92 percentile in the OBC category gives good chances of admission into NITs, depending on the chosen branch.
| NIT | Branch | Approximate Closing OBC Rank |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Calicut | Mechanical Engineering | 10,389 |
| NIT Durgapur | Computer Science and Engineering | 11,240 |
| NIT Jalandhar | Electrical Engineering | 27,120 |
| NIT Warangal | Computer Science and Engineering | 2,971 |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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