Total B.Tech Seats in IITs vs JEE Advanced Qualifiers: Is there a need to Increase Seats in IITs?

Clearing JEE Advanced is considered a major academic milestone, as it filters out the best engineering minds from across the country and acts as a final filter for India’s most prestigious engineering institutions - the IITs!

In 2025, a total of 180,422 candidates appeared in both papers of JEE Advanced, and out of these, 54,378 candidates qualified. These qualified students represent the top-performing engineering aspirants in India, having cleared one of the toughest entrance examinations in the world. However, qualifying JEE Advanced does not automatically mean getting admission in an IIT.

For the 2025-26 academic session, the total B.Tech intake across all 23 IITs is 18,160 seats. When this number is compared with the total JEE Advanced qualifiers, it becomes clear that only around 33.4% of qualified candidates were able to secure a seat in an IIT.

As per the official seat allotment data, a total of 18,188 seats were filled, which is slightly higher than the sanctioned intake due to supernumerary seats such as PwD and supernumerary female seats. Despite this, more than 36,000 qualified candidates could not get an IIT seat.

This growing gap between the number of students who qualify JEE Advanced and the number who actually get admission into IITs raises an important question: Are the current B.Tech seats in IITs enough, or is it time to increase them?

Total B.Tech Seats in IITs for 2025-26 Admission

The table below clearly shows how the seats in IITs for B.Tech are distributed across older and newer IITs. While older IITs have relatively higher intake, many newer IITs still operate with limited seat capacity. You can also check the Expected JEE Main Percentile Required to be Eligible for JEE Advanced 2026 .

Also read |

JEE Advanced 2025 Qualifiers

This data highlights how competitive JEE Advanced has become and how a large number of candidates qualify but still do not make it into the IIT system.

Also Read JEE Advanced Cutoff for IITs 2025: Category-wise Cutoff & Previous Year Cutoff Marks

Total Seats Allotted in IITs

The table shows the total seats allotted to qualifiers across categories. Even after adding supernumerary seats, the number of students admitted remains far lower than the total number of JEE Advanced qualifiers.

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Final Verdict: Is there a need to Increase Seats in IITs?

Yes, there is a strong and clear need to increase B.Tech seats in IITs. The numbers leave little room for doubt. In JEE Advanced 2025, only about one out of every three qualified candidates (18,188 out of 54,378) managed to secure a B.Tech seat in an IIT. That means more than 36,000 capable students were left out, not because they lacked ability, but simply because there weren’t enough seats.

This gap didn’t appear overnight. Every year, more students qualify for JEE Advanced as awareness, access to coaching, and competition increase. But IIT seat numbers have not grown at the same pace. For the 2025-26 academic year, the total intake is approximately 18,160 seats. Even after adding extra category-specific seats, IITs are accommodating less than 35% of the students they themselves declare as qualified.

From a fairness point of view, increasing IIT seats can also reduce the extreme pressure and cut-throat competition around closing ranks, where a difference of a few marks decides whether a student gets into an IIT or not. It can also help improve gender diversity, as currently only around 20% of the allotted seats are occupied by female candidates.

At the same time, expansion should not be rushed. Increasing seats without adequate faculty strength, infrastructure, hostels, and academic support can affect quality. However, a phased and controlled expansion, especially in newer IITs that still have room to grow, makes practical sense.

With proper planning, increasing the seats in IITs for B.Tech to around 22,000-25,000 over the next 3-5 years is both realistic and necessary, without diluting the academic standards associated with the IIT brand.