Education Leaders | Top Interviews

JEE Advanced process, issues, and quotas explained with emphasis on the cutthroat competition and changing admission parameters in IITs.

Year by year, JEE Advanced raises more questions than the scores. In 2025, 54,378 candidates cleared JEE Advanced, but with just 18,160 seats available, almost 36,000 were left stranded even after "success." Cut-off is determined through subject-wise as well as aggregate marks, then ranking all-India. But a difference between an 18,000th rank holder and a 30,000th rank holder could boil down to a few marks, highlighting just how tight the margins are.

Each year, JEE Advanced raises more questions than the outcome. In 2025, 54,378 students passed JEE Advanced, but with just 18,160 seats available, almost 36,000 were left stranded in spite of "success." It is cut-off through subject-wise and aggregate marks, topped off by an all-India ranking. But the difference between an 18,000th rank holder and a 30,000th rank holder could be a matter of a few marks, highlighting just how razor-thin the margins are.

Clearing JEE Advanced doesn’t necessarily get one a seat elsewhere, contrary to JEE Main, which directs students to NITs and state institutions. For many, it’s either a seat in an IIT, another attempt, or grudgingly settling for other options such as BITS, DTU, or private institutions.

Coming close but not making it

Seventeen-year-old Swaraj Prakhar recently cleared JEE Mains and is now preparing to reappear for the Advanced exam. "Back in my time at the peak, I used to study nearly 10 hours a day," Swaraj said. "The toughest part was the second screening test, the Advanced. I used to do a lot of rehearsing or solving JEE questions during free periods in school. Managing time was difficult, and abstaining from sports or social life was even more challenging. But that discipline enabled me to arrive here."

In spite of this, exam pressure took its toll. "I had hoped for 99 percentile, but panic resulted in idiotic errors," he explained. For Advanced, he has now turned his attention to conceptual clarity and depth of problems, along with fighting the psychological burden of performance.

Currently Swaraj holds a B.Sc. (Hons) seat at IIT Guwahati but has opted for a partial drop to reattempt JEE and BITSAT. “If not engineering, I’d consider law, but my priority is being in an environment of bright, ambitious minds. IIT is about more than academics, it’s exposure and growth,” he said.

Encouragement from teachers, friends, and relatives keeps him at ground zero. "I used to cry a lot sometimes, but I understood to accept the reality and study harder. I had a teacher say to me once, 'Everyone walks at their own pace,' and I never forgot it."

Even though he cleared JEE Advanced in 2025, 21-year-old Harshit Panda did not decide to go to an IIT. Instead, he took up B.Tech Computer Science in Delhi Technological University (DTU), over the brand value of IIT. "The fierce battle for IIT seats is largely driven by a lack of awareness and the common obsession with the IIT brand, which is pursued more for seeking parents' approval than enthusiasm.". Most students find themselves spending their most valuable years in this competition, forfeiting opportunities best suited for their abilities and development," he added.

While considering the reforms, he referred to IIT Madras' Online BSc as a model worth following. "If other IITs have similar flexible programs, particularly in software and computer science, it would enable a broader talent pool while retaining the rigor and exposure associated with IITs. That's a change that could transform IITs from being elite gatekeepers to broad-based enablers of talent," he said.

To the 36,000 aspirants who qualify through JEE Advanced every year but fail to get a seat, Harshit gives a reality check: "IIT is not a silver bullet to success—it's just a head start, and even that is subject to what you do when you're there. Institutions such as NITs and DTU provide great opportunities. With steady effort and intelligent networking, you can compete with or even beat many IIT graduates in the long run."

The rationale of the Advanced

The reasoning behind the Advanced Coach Chaitanya Rastogi puts it, "Mains shows who has studied; Advanced shows who can adapt under pressure." But as professors point out, India's concept of "merit" continues to overlook creativity, curiosity, and diversity, and the bottleneck remains.

For Chaitanya Rastogi, better known as Chaitanya Sir, who has tutored thousands of IIT and NEET candidates, the IIT selection process is not merely stringent but aimed at sifting talent in layers. "JEE Main and Advanced are two different type of exams. Mains examines basic subject knowledge, but Advanced is a second grinding; it seeks to find out how well a student can apply knowledge under immense pressure," he explained.

Almost 15 lakh students take JEE Main every year, and almost 2.2 lakh make it through to JEE Advanced. But only around 17,000 eventually reach an IIT seat. "That second sieve is required," opined Rastogi. "Mains can identify those who studied well, but Advanced can identify who can think quickly, respond to unexpected situations, and create solutions."

He identified how the exam structure itself requires something beyond memory. "Advanced papers are mixed bags, with lots of multiple-response and application-based questions. Students have to sit through two long papers in one day. That's where analytical ability, endurance, and pressure-driven decision-making get tried out."

For Rastogi, that two-stage filtering is what imbues IIT graduates with their international advantage. "IIT is not testing knowledge; it's testing speed, resilience, clear thinking, and problem-solving. That's why even overseas, IITs are valued much more than the majority of Indian institutes. The second churning guarantees only the most resilient to stay alive."

A major reason for three times the number of individuals being reported as having passed Advanced as there are seats available in IIT is the numerous admission quotas. Test creators account for it to create a much larger pool for Advanced so they can identify candidates to fill seats under the quotas.

Out of the combined 17,740 seats in 23 IITs, the General Quota takes up 40.5%, with 6,819 general vacant seats and 356 for Persons with Disabilities (PwD). The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) gets 10% of seats, including 1,694 general and 86 EWS-PwD seats. The OBC-NCL (Other Backward Classes–Non-Creamy Layer) quota takes up 27%, including 4,558 general and 231 PwD seats. In the case of the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, 15% are reserved seats that include 2,532 general and 132 PwD seats. In contrast, Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates are allocated 7.5%, where 1,276 general and 56 PwD seats are offered.

Moreover, a horizontal reservation of 5% is also made within each category for PwD candidates. Supernumerary seats with 20% reservation for women are added to promote gender diversity. Two seats are reserved by each IIT for Defense Services candidates under preferential allotment.

Experts point out that in IIT admissions, a fraction of a mark can be the deciding factor. "Yes, even 0.1 mark matters. The same score can correspond to many different ranks," an IIT professor explained.

With lakhs of students vying for limited seats, entrance tests are not merely qualification examinations but effectively elimination exams. Since the last four years, female applicants have been made part of the joint ranking process, although supernumerary seats continue to provide greater chances to women in IITs. The dynamic system is also a mirror of the fierceness of competition as well as the attempts to create diversity at India's premier engineering schools.

Until 2020, there were different merit lists for women candidates, which enabled them to attain Computer Science in IITs with comparatively lower ranks. "Previously, girls' ranks used to be calculated separately. Until 2020, a boy would need to score in the top 100 in order to obtain Computer Science, whereas a girl could obtain the same course with a rank within 500," the professor stated.

A professor from an SSB-awarded IIT showed why pressure around admissions in JEE and IIT keeps intensifying, generating one of the world's most challenging academic bottlenecks. "The problem is not investment or infrastructure alone. We saw newer IITs of Goa, Dharwad, Jammu established over 15 years ago. But they have not yet achieved the position of the old five IITs.". This shows that it is not just about building campuses and pumping funds. What we need is a supportive environment: good labs, energetic culture, good mentorship," he said.

The field of biotechnology is transforming faster than ever and India is making remarkable strides because of the visionary innovators like Dr. Jiku Jose. As the Founder and CEO of Scire Science, Dr. Jose is at the forefront of pioneering bio ink and 3D bioprinting technology. This field holds the promise of revolutionizing healthcare in our country and beyond, reducing animal testing, and one day, even creating artificial organs. In an exclusive interview with nationally awarded journalist, Nibedita Sen, Edinbox’s editorial head, Dr. Jose shares her journey, the science behind Bio Ink, and her vision for transforming medical research and treatment. 

Q. What exactly is BioInk?

Bioink is the material we use in 3D bioprinting. To explain simply, it is like the extracellular matrix, the natural substance that binds cells together. Until recently, we were importing bio ink into India. We are proud to be the pioneer manufacturer of indigenous bio ink in the country.

Q. What impact does bioink have on healthcare?

Bio ink helps us build tissue structures, which is actually very important for doing research in tissue engineering as well as regenerative medicine. In the future, we can say that we can eliminate the use of animals in research study. While it might not replace animals entirely, bio ink can minimize animal sacrifice in experiments.

Q. How can students learn about this technology?

Several workshops are being organized, and some institutions have dedicated labs for this technology. We also conduct training at our own laboratory. Students interested can visit our website to join these workshops and learn more.

Q. Has your team started working on human applications, or is the research still at the experimental level with animals or AI?

Our work so far has been with animals such as rats and mice because regulations for human applications do not yet exist. Once the policies are in place by regulators in various countries, human studies can begin. We have published research papers on animal models already.

Q. Are you the only entrepreneur working in this field globally?

While India is still developing this technology, other countries like Israel and a few more are also involved in 3D organ printing. Globally, the field is emerging and still in the early stages. So, we are among the very few pioneering entrepreneurs working on this technology.

Q. Can you give us some insight into what exactly you do and about your organization?

Our company is named Scire Science. We specialize in 3D bioprinting and biomaterials research. The core interest driving us is the potential applications in healthcare. Currently, patients often face long waiting times for organ donations, such as kidney donations. This wait can be life-threatening. Our main goal is to minimize this wait time by creating organs artificially. That was the vision that inspired us to enter this field. While countries like Israel are also making strides in creating whole organs, the field remains at a nascent stage worldwide. In India, there are several institutions actively researching and advancing this technology. Many major institutions are developing new technologies, which can then be translated to create commercially viable solutions. We believe this will help improve and expand healthcare options in the near future.

This interview reveals the work of Dr. Jiku Jose in bio ink and 3D bioprinting is a pioneering effort to show the increasing contribution of India into the sector of biomedical innovation worldwide. Her idea to minimize animal testing and even create artificial organs shows a ray of hope, a promising future in healthcare and medical research.

From his childhood days in the rural fringes of Sangli to being an internationally published scholar, VG Vaze College's Mulund-based professor Dr Suresh S Shendage has always held a faith in commitment towards education, which has paid him back with the 'Ideal Teacher – Urban' award conferred by the University of Mumbai. Shendage is being felicitated today, along with other faculty members on the university's Kalina campus.

Shendage realized he had to be a teacher right from childhood days when he went to a one-teacher primary school near Sangli. Being the most intelligent student of Std III, Shendage was compelled to teach younger children single-handedly. Shendage even began teaching his own peers for a few hours in Std IV. Subsequently, he got his MSc in Chemistry and BEd from Kolhapur and moved to Mumbai for education. Now, he is a research mentor and department head of Chemistry at VG Vaze College.

Wherever he happens to be in classrooms, Shendage is a firm believer in the method of enquiry-based and interactive learning. In a conversation with mid-day, he explained, "I tend to start with splitting the students into groups, assigning each group a topic, and asking them to present it to their peers under my guidance. The audience throws their questions at the presenters, and the entire class becomes involved."

While teaching Analytical Chemistry to his higher-level students, Shendage believes technical subjects cannot be "siloed" (entwined) from everyday life in society. "When a noodle firm came under fire for dubious ingredients in 2015, I brought the case to my class.". My students told me about how you would have to go about sampling the noodles, what tools you'd have to utilize to find out about what's inside, and how you'd make a decision. It's wonderful that we can learn that chemistry is involved in our lives, beginning from when we brush our teeth up to when we sleep," said Shendage.

Aside from the active support from the college, Shendage also arranges quiz competitions and research conference presentation slots for his undergraduate students as well. So far, Shendage has 32 published articles, many of which have attained an Impact Factor of 9-9.5. He is also a board of studies member of a few other city colleges and the NEP Nodal Officer of his own college, helping in designing assessment patterns and value education curriculum under NEP.

University of Mumbai Outstanding College Awards (Urban and Rural Divisions) for 2023-24 and 2024-25 and the Ideal Principal and Ideal Teacher awards at college and university division levels, Savitribai Phule Ideal Teacher Award for women and meritorious non-teaching staff award will be distributed at the Kalina campus today.

Ex-bureaucrat Amit Khare, who was notorious for his short stint in the National Education Policy and the 'fodder scam,' is now voted as the Secretary to newly elected Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan for a term of three years.

Amit Khare, who is a former bureaucrat, has been appointed Secretary to the new Vice President, C.P. Radhakrishnan. The appointment committee of the Cabinet gave the clearance for three years. The contract appointment with the grade and pay scale of a Secretary has been made as per the official order as issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

Khare has held a number of key roles in his entire career. He has held the posts of Secretary for Information & Broadcasting, Secretary for School Education and Literacy, and Secretary for Higher Education in the central administration. Besides holding a role in the education sector as well as information, Khare is also known to have exposed the 'fodder scam' of Bihar.

Khare's education

Khare is post-graduate in Business Administration from IIM Ahmedabad and a St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumnus. He has done schooling in 1977 from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hinoo.

New Vice President – C. P. Radhakrishnan

Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn into office as India's 15th Vice President on Friday at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu swore him in office during a ceremony in the presence of high-ranking government officials. Radhakrishnan was the NDA nominee, polled 452 votes in the Sept 9 election to defeat Opposition nominee B. Sudershan Reddy, who got 300 votes. He was the Governor of Maharashtra before he was nominated.

Indian student suicides have been increasing at a alarming rate, and that has been triggering essential dialogues on mental health, academic pressure, and societal pressures. Though every incident is heart-wrenching, practitioners maintain that these are not isolated incidents but signs of a greater failure in the system.

To know the root causes and probable solutions, Edinbox scribe interviewed Dr. Ankit Chaudhary, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation, Sehore. During this frank conversation, Dr. Chaudhary reveals why suicides are infrequently impulsive actions, how social media has infused new forms of stress, and what common measures families, schools, and policymakers need to undertake to protect youthful lives.

Q: Student suicides are usually portrayed as unexpected, shocking families and friends. Are they that unpredictable?

Dr. Chaudhary: Students are constantly trying to meet expectations of parents, teachers, peers, and society. Though we claim every child is unique, in fact, they are compared against a stiff set of academic standards. This conflict between individuality and external expectation is the point where pressure mounts.

Family dynamics also changed dramatically. With the emergence of social media, students are more likely to relate to cyber friends than actual siblings. The perfected, glamorous lives presented on the web instill unrealistic expectations.

And this is extremely serious. They reason, "No one will get it, and I will be worrying my family for no good reason."This is where awareness is extremely important. We must elucidate that mental health issues are not flaws, but illnesses that need treatment, just like illnesses of the body.

Q: Schools do offer counseling, but obviously, it's not sufficient. What else can be done?

Dr. Chaudhary: The professionals in schools are very few in comparison to the requirement. Aside from that, the education system has to change from creating poisonous competition towards healthy collaboration. Every student needs to feel they can do something well. Early warning signs can be detected through regular screenings at schools, and in time referrals for higher centers have to be made when the situations are serious.

Task forces may be set up to examine student suicides, determine patterns, and act where necessary. Notably, policy needs to prioritize mental health as much as academic success.

Q: Any message for society in general, what would it be?

Dr. Chaudhary: Even one suicide must rattle us as a society. They are not individual tragedies but warning signs that something in the system is seriously amiss. If we recognize and fix honestly the pressures students are subjected to—whether social, familial, or institutional—these numbers must come down considerably. Education must finally be a complete and enjoyable experience and not a chore that drives young minds to desperation.

Dr. Ankit Chaudhary's words serve as a grim reminder that suicides among students are avoidable if society takes responsibility together.

Sabar, belonging to a poor family in the village of Mudulidhiah under the Banpur block in the Khurda district, secured 18,212 rank in the scheduled tribe category and was admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital.

The aspiration of being a doctor finally materialized for 19-year-old student Subham Sabar from Odisha, who has been employed as a labourer in Bengaluru to support his family, as he cleared the NEET UG exams and got admission into the MBBS course of a college here.

Sabar, a poor man from Mudulidhiah village, which comes under the Banpur block of Khurda district, was thrilled when he received a call from his teacher Basudev Moharana informing him that he had passed the entrance exams for admission to the MBBS course. 

MCC NEET UG Counselling 2025: NMC to raise MBBS seats for Round 2; registration from Aug 29

He stood at 18,212 in the scheduled tribe list and received admission to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here.

"Few days ago, I was working at the Bengaluru construction site, and my teacher called me one day. He asked me to give sweets to someone. I was taken aback and wondered why. He smiled and told me that I had cleared the NEET exams. I felt like dreaming.". I couldn't control my tears and came back home the next day with proper permission from the contractor who hired me to work," Sabar said.

He earned Rs 45,000 in his three-month working time, out of which he could save Rs 25,000.

On being asked why he undertook the trip to Bengaluru as a migrant worker, Sabar replied there was "no alternative but to support my family.".

"I come from a very poor family of five. Since the NEET exam was complete, I thought of working to earn some money to live with my family. I approached one local contractor who sent me to Bengaluru. The money I saved helped me secure admission at the medical college," he said.

After securing an MBBS seat in govt medical college, Sabar mentioned that he used to aspire to be a cop first, but began to dream of becoming a doctor once he started preparing for higher studies.

"As a tribal farmers child, I dared to dream. I am now on track to achieve my childhood dream of becoming a doctor and serve the people of Odisha," the medical student added.

Sahadeb and Rangi, his parents expected the government to provide him with financial assistance so that he could finish his five-year MBBS course.

"From childhood, he was very hard-working and meritorious. He wanted to be a doctor. His hard work ensured the success," said Subham's mother, Rangi.

Subham saw his parents and his brothers and sisters working day and night from childhood. He learned how to work hard and he succeeded," the overjoyed mother explained.