What is the SC/ST quota? How does it affect your JEE Main score?

The SC/ST quota in IIT admissions is a reservation system that ensures a certain percentage of seats are allocated to students from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). This system was implemented to provide equal opportunities to students from marginalized communities and bridge the educational gap.

For IITs, the SC/ST reservation accounts for approximately 15% and 7.5% of the total seats, respectively. This means that a certain percentage of seats in each IIT and each course are reserved for students belonging to these categories. The reservation ensures that these students have a fair chance of securing a seat in IITs, even if their exam scores are lower than those of general category candidates.

The impact of this quota on your JEE Main score is significant because the cut-off marks for SC/ST students are usually lower than for general category students. This allows SC/ST candidates to have a better chance of gaining admission to their preferred IIT and course. However, candidates from SC and ST categories are still required to meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by the IITs and perform well in the exam.