The results of the JEE Advanced 2026 entrance exam, considered one of the most difficult engineering tests in the country, have overturned old perceptions about capabilities. According to a report published by IIT Roorkee, striking changes occurred that surprised the entire educational community. These results demonstrated that talent is not limited by any class or gender.
Historical Achievements of Students from SC/ST Categories: For the first time, the 50% threshold was exceeded! This year's data showed the most significant jump in the results of candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). As stated in The Indian Express report, if the percentage of successful candidates from SC was 40.41% last year, it rose to 50.16% this year. This means that every second SC candidate passed the exam. A total of 15,856 students from SC qualified.
Similarly, the success rate among ST students increased from 33.99% to 42.14%, with 6,379 students succeeding. Meanwhile, the success rate among candidates from the General category decreased from 43.0% to 39.8%, and for OBC-NCL it was 17.5%. Nevertheless, the success rate among participants from SC and ST was higher than in the general category. Out of the total 56,880 qualified students, about 39% (22,235 people) belong to SC and ST.
In academic circles at IIT, girls showed outstanding results this time. According to the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) report, the success rate among women reached 23.4%, which is the highest figure in the last six years. Out of 43,112 registered female students, 10,107 succeeded. The top female student scored 280 out of 360, achieving an All India Rank (AIR) of 77. She scored 101 in Mathematics, 86 in Physics, and 93 in Chemistry. It is worth noting that if only 4,570 girls qualified in 2016, this number more than doubled in 2026, reaching 10,107.
Thanks to additional seats in IIT and the gender-neutral pool, the share of women in the total number of seats reached 20.22%.
The total number of registered candidates was 187,389. 179,694 students participated in the exam, having taken both subjects. In total, 56,880 people qualified, which accounts for 31.7% of the total participating students.