JoSAA Quotas - HS and AI Quota and Quota-wise Seat Distribution
Seats are allocated under AI (All India) category and HS (Home State) category during JoSAA counselling. Around 50% of the total seats are reserved in NITs for Home State students. Find out the major difference between HS/AI quota in JoSAA and quota-wise seat distribution here.
JoSAA Quotas -
If you are someone who’s appearing for engineering admission in colleges through JoSAA counselling 2025, you must be familiar with HS/AI quota in JoSAA. While ‘HS’ refers to Home State quota, ‘AI’ stands for All India quota in JEE counselling 2025. During the counselling, seats are allocated primarily based on HS/AI quota in JoSAA, along with various categories, including OBC-NCL, EWS, ST, SC etc. Every year, the conducting authority releases quota-wise seat distribution in JoSAA at the time of counselling. However, not many people truly understand the difference between HS/AI quota in JoSAA and reservation categories – their impact on seat allocation, vacancy, course program benefits, and admission chances in the top government and private engineering colleges.
Also Check -
What is the Difference Between HS, AI, OS, and GO Quota
Difference between HS and AI Quota in JoSAA
The major difference between HS/AI quota in JoSAA has been explained below:
Home State (HS) Quota: Based on the HS (Home State) quota, the desired seats for the particular course are reserved for students under their eligibility cadre (i.e., completing grade 11 & 12 in their respective state).
Also, the Home State quota will be filled based on the candidate's All India Rank (AIR) secured during the JEE 2025 examination. More than 50% of seats are being reserved well in advance for HS quota candidates.
- All India (AI) Quota: Based on the AI (All India) quota seats are allocated to students from all across the nation, irrespective of their domicile state. This AI quota is primarily employed for admissions to the 23 IITs and 26 IIITs.
Differences between Reservation/ Quota & Categories
The reservation-based quota is a way of allocating a specific number of seats (course vacancies) in government and government-aided colleges like IIT, NIT, CIT, IIIT, etc. It might change as per the guidelines of each state in our country.
Meanwhile, a category consists of multiple admission seats in government or private institutions for aspirants who hail from different societal classes/backgrounds, such as SC, ST, and OBC. These categories are constant protocols that are being followed strictly in most of the institutions of our nation.
Classification of Different Categories for Admission through JoSAA
The candidature of students falls under the following reservations available during JoSAA admissions.
General | General – PwD |
SC (Scheduled Caste) | SC - PwD |
ST (Scheduled Tribes) | ST - PwD |
OBC-NCL (Other Backward Classes – Non Creamy Layer) | OBC - PwD |
*Note - The sub-category PwD refers to Person with Disability.
Quota-Wise Seat Distribution through JoSAA
Thos of you seeking admission to the prestigious engineering institutes in India can find below the detailed quota-wise seat distribution in JoSAA:
Categories | NITs | IIITs | GFTIs |
Open | 9400 | 3750 | 5400 |
Open PwD | 480 | 175 | 270 |
EWS | 2300 | 850 | 1050 |
EWS PwD | 140 | 40 | 55 |
SC | 3450 | 1300 | 1500 |
SC PwD | 190 | 65 | 80 |
ST | 2050 | 650 | 900 |
ST PwD | 110 | 30 | 40 |
Open NCL | 6150 | 2350 | 2250 |
Open NCL PwD | 320 | 120 | 100 |
Total | 24,450 | 9,250 | 10,750 |
Understanding the common differences between the HS/AI quota and seat distribution in JoSAA is crucial to get admitted into the preferred college based on your choice. We wish you all a promising and successful career ahead!