In a record, over 10k women clear JEE(A) 17.8% of qualifiers,

In a record, over 10k women clear JEE(A) 17.8% of qualifiers

Manash.Gohain @timesofindia.com  06.10.2026

New Delhi: Women’s success rate in JEE-Advanced reached a record high in 2026 despite fewer registrations, with over 10,000 qualifying for the first time during this period. Yet their share of IIT seat allotments barely changed, from 20.15% to 20.22%. 

Of the top 100 rankers, 97 were allotted seats at just three IITs — Bombay, Delhi and Madras — with Bombay alone taking 68. This time, a total 18,861 admissions were made in IITs, with 20% being female candidates. Among the top 25 rankers, 8 candidates each took admission in IIT Delhi and IIT Madras, while six toppers took admission in IIT Bombay. 

The Joint Implementation Committee report, prepared by IIT Roorkee, shows sharp gains for SC and ST candidates. Including candidates with disabilities in both years, their qualification rates among registered candidates rose by 9.9 and 8.3 percentage points, respectively, to 50.2% and 42.1%. SC qualifiers increased from 12,528 to 15,856, while the ST count rose from 5,017 to 6,379. Both increases were around 27%, faster than the 4.6% rise in the number of qualifiers, from 54,378 to 56,880