The JEE Main reservation policy ensures that students from various categories will have equal opportunities to education at NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. This reservation policy applies during the seat allocation process after valid documents are submitted during the counselling process.
The JEE Main 2026 reservation criteria have been described in the JEE Main Information Bulletin 2026, available on the JEE Main official website https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/.
- Out of the total seats in JEE Main 2026, around 59.5% are reserved for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and PwD categories.
- The other 40.5% of seats in JEE Main 2026 are available unreserved, or for the general category. This is open to all students.
- SC and ST students have a 15% and 7.5% reservation, respectively, in every course.
- Persons with benchmark disability(PwD) have a 5% reservation in each of the general, gen-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST category seats.
Source: JEE Mains 2026 Information Bulletin
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Category-wise Reservation Percentages in JEE Main 2026
The reservation criteria in JEE Main ensure fair access for students from various socio-economic backgrounds. As per the government guidelines, the NTA applies fixed reservation percentages across all centrally funded institutions.
- The OBC-NCL category has a 27% reservation in college admissions through JEE Main. SC and ST students have a reservation of 15% and 7.5%, respectively.
- Students who fall under Gen-EWS (annual income of 8 lakh or lower) get the 10% seats through JEE Main.
Students who apply for reservation categories must hold a valid and updated certificate to submit during the counselling process.
| Category | JEE Main Reservation percentages | Details |
|---|---|---|
| OBC-NCL (Other Backwards Classes non Non-Creamy Layer) | 27% | For socially and educationally backward citizens whose family falls under non non-creamy layer |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15% | For members of the scheduled caste community to promote equal opportunities |
| GEN-EWS | 10% | For citizens not covered under existing reservations and whose annual family income is below 8 lakh |
| ST (Scheduled Tribes) | 7.5% | For members of scheduled tribes |
| Open/General (Unreserved) | 40.5% | Seats are available for all students, including reserved category students who qualified based on open merit. |
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Ques. Is the 40.5% general really open to all?
Ans. Yes. It is open to everyone irrespective of categories. Even students from SC/ST/OBC/EWS categories can get a seat if they wish to and have a good rank.
Ques. I belong to the OBC category, but my family income is above the creamy layer. Can I still apply under OBC?
Ans. No, you will be treated as a general category, and a seat will be allotted under the open/general quota.
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Reservations for Persons with Disabilities in JEE Main 2026
The JEE Main reservation criteria also incorporate a horizontal quota for students with benchmark disabilities. This reservation runs across all categories.
Eligibility criteria for the PwD quota: students must have a disability of 40% or more, as certified by a competent medical authority.
This 5% quota ensures that a dedicated percentage of seats is reserved within the total reservations for each category.
| Category | JEE Main Reservation Percentages | Application Quota |
|---|---|---|
| PwD(Persons with Disabilities) | 5% | Reservation within each of the five categories (Open, EWS, OBC, SC and ST) |
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Eligibility and Documentation JEE Main Reservation
Claiming JEE Main reservation benefits only after submitting valid and updated certificates during the counselling process.
At first, students must choose the category they belong to while registering for JEE Main 2026. Here are the steps to claim the JEE Main reservation.
- Select your reservation category during the JEE Main 2026 registration.
- No certificates are needed during registration.
- Students must upload and submit valid and updated certificates during the counselling process.
Students who fail to submit a valid certificate at the time of counselling will be automatically considered under the open/general category for the admission process.
| Category | Eligibility Requirement | Documents needed |
|---|---|---|
| OBC-NCL | Must be in the central list and not in the creamy layer | Certificate must be issued on or after April 1, 2026 |
| GEN-EWS | Annual family income must be less than 8 lakh | The income certificate must be valid for the current financial year. |
| SC/ST | Must be listed in the central SC/ST list. | Valid caste/Tribe certificate in the prescribed format. |
| PwD | Minimum 40% disability | Valid disability card issued by a competent medical board |
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Ques. Can I apply under both EWS and OBC-NCL?
Ans. No, you have to choose only one. EWS is only for the general students who are not in SC/ST/OBC and have an annual income of less than 8 lakh rupees.
Home State vs Other State Quota in NITs
The distribution of seats between home state and other state quotas is the first level of reservations, followed by the category-wise(OBC, EWS, SC, ST, Open) reservation within each of the quotas.
This distribution greatly affects the cutoff ranks for the admissions.
Seat allocation in most of the NITs is distributed 50:50 for home state and other state quota.
The reservation percentages of the categories apply separately within both the 50% of HS and the 50% of OS quota. For example,
For the Home state quota: Within a total of 50% seats; SC→15%, ST→7.5%, OBC-NCL→27%, EWS→10%, general→10% reservation.
| Quota category | Percentage of total seats | Eligibility |
| Home State Quota | 50% | students who have passed class 12 or equivalent examination from a school located in the state/UT where the specific NIT is located |
| Other State Quota | 50% | students who passed their 12th from any school outside of the particular NIT are located. |
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Ques. In NITs, is the 50% home state quota further divided into quotas?
Ans. Yes. within 50% of total seats, 27% OBC, 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 10% EWS, and 40.5% general categories, and 5% PwD horizontal quota in every category.
Reservation in JEE Main is a crucial aspect of the admission process, designed to ensure fairness for every candidate, irrespective of their background. Students must refer to the official JEE Main information bulletin for any information regarding the exam.
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