Candidates who belong to EWS, SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and PwD categories can claim benefits under JEE reservation criteria 2026. The criteria provides qualified candidates benefits regarding seat allocation, age limit and more.
JEE Main reservation criteria 2026: The reservation criteria for JEE Main exam is released by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Reservation in IIT provides advantages to reserved-category candidates in terms of age-limit relaxation, seat allocation, qualifying scores, etc.
Moreover, they are also granted concessions on the application fees while filling out the JEE Main application form. Candidates can find the detailed JEE reservation criteria on the official website of NTA.
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026 for Institutions Under the Central Government
The JEE reservation criteria comprise a category-wise percentage of reservation in IIT and the eligibility requirements that the candidates have to comply with. The table below shows the category-wise percentage for reservation in JEE Main:
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
| General Economically Weaker Sections (GEN-EWS) | 10% |
| Non-Creamy Layer of Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| Persons with Disabilities | 5% |
Relevant articles related to JEE Main
JEE Main Reservation Criteria 2026: Highlights
Several institutes follow the central JEE Main reservation system, while others follow the home state quota and other state quotas. Check out the major highlights of reservation in IIT:
- The JEE reservation criteria 2026 follows the reservation rules and regulations established by the Government of India.
- The state-wise engineering colleges that accept JEE Main scores will follow state-specific criteria for reservation in IIT.
- Applicants whose names appear on the central list of the Government of India will qualify for admission to NITs, IITs, and GFTIs.
OBC Reservation in JEE Main 2026
In this section, we will discuss the criteria for OBC reservation in IIT. A list of other backward classes (non-creamy layer) is available on the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) website. This list is called the Central list and has to be followed in accordance with the JEE reservation criteria 2026.
JEE applicants who fall under this list need to select the OBC option while filling out the application form. Other applicants who fall under the OBC list as per their respective state list will be required to select the General category.
JEE Reservation Criteria for Persons With Disability (PwD)
Candidates with a disability of more than 40%, as certified by the competent authority, are eligible to claim the benefits under reservation in IIT. Besides, applicants who suffer from one of the following disabilities belong to the PwD category:
- Blind or low vision
- Deaf or hard of hearing
- Disabilities of bones/joints/muscles
- Locomotor disabilities like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victims, dwarfism, etc.
- Autism, mental illness, or intellectual disability
- Other ‘specified disabilities’ as given in the schedule of the RPwD Act 2016.
JEE Main Reservation System for Women Candidates
The majority of engineering colleges in India reserve at least 5% of their seats for women. In order to take advantage of this policy, female candidates must apply through the women's quota system.
Moreover, female applicants from the PWD category will receive an additional 3% reservation in top engineering colleges in India for JEE Main.
Read More: Top Colleges Accepting Low JEE Main Score 2026
JEE Main Reservation Criteria for Institutions of National Importance
Some institutes like IITs, NITs, IIITs, etc., are recognized at a national level. Every aspirant dreams of getting admitted into one of these institutions after qualifying for the JEE Main. These colleges have their own criteria for reservation in JEE Main 2026. These criteria are given as follows:
- Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) - All IITs fall under the central government, and therefore, they follow the All India Quota while admitting candidates into engineering courses.
- Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) - IIIT admissions are based on All India Quota, Home State Quota, and Other State Quotas.
- Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) - GFTIs offer admissions for undergraduate engineering courses based on the All India Quota.
However, there are exceptions like Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, and IIEST Shibpur, which apply the home state quota and other state quotas. The Assam University, Silchar is also an exception, allowing a home-state quota for candidates from Assam and all-India quota for candidates from the other states. - National Institutes of Technology (NITs) - The NITs admit candidates to undergraduate engineering courses on the basis of State Quotas and Other State Quotas.
Also Check: Minimum Marks in JEE Main to Qualify for JEE Advanced 2026
JEE Main 2026 Reservation Criteria for NITs
In the NITs, 50% of the seats are reserved for candidates from the home state. At the same time, the remaining 50% is reserved for eligible candidates from other states. Here, the ‘Home State Quota’ applies to eligible candidates who have completed class 12th from the state where the particular NIT is located.
In contrast, ‘Other State Quota’ applies to candidates under reserved categories who belong to a state other than the one in which that NIT is situated. For States and Union Territories that do not have an NIT, these NITs will be considered as their state quota.
| 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 |
Read More: NITs JEE Main Cutoff 2026
Note that the above criteria are applicable for all NITs except for Warangal and Goa. For these NITs, the following JEE reservation criteria are followed:
| Name of the NIT | Quota | Eligible Candidates |
| NIT Warangal | Home State Quota | Candidates from Telangana are eligible to claim reservation under this quota |
| Other States Quota | Under this quota, candidates belonging to other states and those from Andhra Pradesh are eligible to apply for admission | |
| Andhra Pradesh Quota | Candidates who belong to Andhra Pradesh can claim reservation under this quota. | |
| NIT Goa | Home State Quota | There is a 40% reservation of seats for candidates from Goa. If there are any further vacancies, 10% of the seats will be filled by candidates who belong to Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep |
| Other States Quota | Candidates from Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep can apply for admission under this quota |
Read More: Minimum Marks to get Admission in NIT through JEE Main
How to Claim Reservation in JEE Main 2026?
Candidates belonging to reserved categories are required to follow certain formalities in order to claim the benefits. Here are the steps to claim a reservation in IIT:
- Candidates need to fill out the JEE Main application form, wherein they would be required to fill in various details, including their category. At this stage, they are not required to provide proof of their category.
Therefore, if a candidate does not select the correct reserved category while filling out the application form, the authorities will not accept any further claims. - During JEE Main counselling, candidates will have to submit certain documents, including a caste/category certificate.
- Candidates who fail to provide proof of their reservation claim will be placed under the 'non-reserved' or 'general' category.
Read More: Top Colleges Accepting 50,000 Rank in JEE Mains 2026
Documents Required to Claim JEE Main Reservation 2026
It is not enough for candidates to indicate they belong to a reserved category during the application process, and they will be required to provide proof as outlined below in order to qualify for a reservation under the reservation criteria of JEE Main 2026.
- A category certificate issued by an official authority in the prescribed format
- Caste or Tribe certificates for candidates belonging to SC/ ST
- Disability certificate for candidates under the PwD category
Read More: List of Government Colleges Accepting JEE Main Score 2026
