JEE Main: Know about Reservations, Quotas and Categories in Detail – Direct Admission in Engineering

JEE Main Reservations, Quotas & Categories- Do you know that your category or quota plays an important role in getting admission to these institutes?

Being an engineering aspirant, you should be clear about the difference between quota / reservation and category as this directly affects your admission chances. For your easy understanding, admissionseats.com has provided each and every detail of the reservation guidelines in a comprehensive manner below.


What is the Difference between Reservations, Quotas & Categories?
It is a fact that reservations are governed by the government guidelines which are applicable across the country. See below to know the major difference between quota/reservation and category.
Reservation/Quota
Category
1. A Specific percentage of seats in government or participating institutes is set aside for candidates belonging to specified quota/reservation apart from the category ones.

2. This can vary as per the institute guidelines, state guidelines – for eg quota for women, Defence personnel, local/non local  candidates
1. Specific percentage of seats in government and private institutes are kept aside for candidates belonging to certain social backgrounds (SC, ST and OBCs)

2. This percentage is mostly constant and same across the country.

Reservations/ Quotas in NITs:
Home State (HS) Quota: In NITs, 50% of the seats are reserved for this quota.
Other State (OS) Quota: Under this quota, there is nearly 50% reservation of seats for candidates belonging to all other states and Union Territories excluding the Home state.
Note: Full Home State Quota at the nearest NIT will be made available in case of Union Territory without any NIT (Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep & Kandvi, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli). Thus, the HS quota will be made available at NIT at Durgapur, Calicut, Surat and Surat respectively for these UTs. This quota will be supernumerary – over and above the original Home State Quota of each institute.

Candidates belonging to these UTs are also eligible for the seats in NITs other than their “Home State” under “Other State” quota.

Quotas/Reservations in Other Central Institutes: In CFTIs, IIITs and SFTIs, the seats are allocated on the basis of HS/OS/All India Quota, as applicable.

Quotas/Reservations in State Engineering Colleges: As far as admissions to state engineering colleges, who have opted for admission through JEE Main, are concerned, the reservation rules of that state will be applied.

Know the JEE Main Categories:

Categories are broadly segregated as follows-
General :
SC (Scheduled Caste)
ST (Scheduled Tribes)
BC-NCL (Backward Classes if they belong to the Non-Creamy Layer)
PwD (Persons with Disability)
Note: BC-NCL candidates will have to satisfy the cast and non-creamy layer requirements as per the National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC) guidelines

Other categories that are applicable are:
J & K Migrants
Defence
Apart from these categories, there are few colleges that also accept candidates coming under OBC Minority Quota.

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Check the Category Wise Percentage Of Reservation in JEE Main:
Category
% of Reservation
OBC (NCL- Non Creamy Layer, whose family annual income is less than Rs.6 lakh)
27%
SC
15%
ST
7.5%
PwD
3%
Important:  Reservation of seats in JEE Main will be done as per the list that is released and maintained by the Central Government of India.

The final list of engineering institutions (with intake in each discipline and category as per reservation) that will give admissions to candidates through JEE Main will be available on the CSAB website in May/June, 2014.

Reservation for Women:
Different colleges offer reservation to women in different ways. Generally, every college has 5% reservation for women. Therefore, a girl candidate has two options to apply- through All India Level and through the Women Quota System.

Steps to Claim Reservation for JEE Main:
All candidates belonging to the mentioned categories must specify the details in the JEE Main Application Form.
The category claimed during the JEE Main Application Process must be backed by documents from the specified authorities.
These documents must be furnished during the JEE Main counselling for verification and subsequent admission.
Candidates unable to furnish the specified category proof will be considered under the open category and stand to lose the benefits of the reservation policy for the respective category
Documents needed to be produced for JEE Main Reservation:
Certificate of category (SC / ST/ BC-NCL) issued by the competent authority in the prescribed format
Certificate for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), if applicable
Note: The specified formats for the same will be given in the JEE Main Counselling Brochure.

Candidates belonging to specific categories can avail admissions to seats reserved under relaxed criteria based on the Government guidelines. These guidelines have been in place to promote and ensure the reach of education in certain strata of the society which is underprivileged. Candidates who belong to such categories can have the added benefit of the reservation policies mentioned above for the admission process in JEE Main