National Testing Agency (NTA) will soon open registration for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2026. This comes as Computer Science Engineering (CSE) remains the most preferred course among students. IIT Bombay’s BTech CSE closing rank for the open gender-neutral category decreased by two points to 66 in 2025. Session one of JEE Main 2026 will occur from January 21 to 30, 2026 , with session two scheduled for April 1 to 10, 2026 .
JEE Main 2026 Application and Exam Schedule
NTA will soon commence the JEE Main 2026 registration process. Prospective candidates must apply online through the official website,jeemain.nta.nic.in. The examination is structured into two separate sessions, offering flexibility for applicants. The first session will be conducted from January 21 to 30, 2026 . The second session is scheduled for April 1 to 10, 2026 . Students can opt to appear for one or both sessions to improve their scores.
Engineering Program Preference Trends
Computer Science Engineering (CSE) continues to lead student preferences for BTech admissions. The Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) 2025 report, compiled by IIT Kanpur, confirms this trend. Data shows 28,705 candidates chose CSE programs. Electrical Engineering (EE) followed as the second most popular discipline, attracting 24,123 selections. Mechanical Engineering (ME) secured the third position, with 21,412 students opting for the course. These figures highlight strong demand for specific engineering fields.
IIT Bombay BTech Seat Distribution
IIT Bombay allocated a total of 1,096 gender-neutral seats across its various BTech programs. This comprehensive figure included 262 seats specifically reserved under the female-only supernumerary quota, designed to encourage women in engineering. For the highly sought-after BTech CSE program, 159 gender-neutral seats were made available. Additionally, 39 female-only supernumerary seats were designated for CSE students at IIT Bombay, emphasizing targeted seat distribution.
BTech CSE Closing Ranks at IIT Bombay (2025 vs. 2024)
The closing rank for IIT Bombay’s BTech CSE program under the open gender-neutral category saw a decrease in 2025. It fell to 66, compared to 68 in 2024, according to JoSAA 2025 data. A lower closing rank indicates a more competitive admission year, meaning only candidates with higher scores secured seats. Rank changes varied across different reservation categories and seat types. The table below details these critical admission benchmarks, showing fluctuations from the previous year.
| Institute | Programme | Seat Type | Gender | 2025 Closing Rank | 2024 Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OPEN | Gender-Neutral | 66 | 68 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OPEN | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 369 | 421 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OPEN (PwD) | Gender-Neutral | 4 | 3 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OPEN (PwD) | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 12 | 7 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | EWS | Gender-Neutral | 20 | 23 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | EWS | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 53 | 79 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | EWS (PwD) | Gender-Neutral | 3 | 3 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OBC-NCL | Gender-Neutral | 54 | 50 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OBC-NCL | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 331 | 274 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | OBC-NCL (PwD) | Gender-Neutral | 3 | 2 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | SC | Gender-Neutral | 31 | 20 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | SC | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 270 | 32 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | SC (PwD) | Gender-Neutral | 1 | 71 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | ST | Gender-Neutral | 19 | 1 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | ST | Female-only (Supernumerary) | 76 | 13 |
| IIT Bombay | BTech CSE | ST (PwD) | Gender-Neutral | 1 | 40 |
Understanding JoSAA Counselling for Admissions
The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) conducts a centralized counselling process. JoSAA facilitates admissions to BTech, BArch, and other undergraduate programs across 118 premier technical institutes in India. These institutions include all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and other Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Candidates utilize their JEE Main and JEE Advanced ranks to participate in the seat allocation rounds managed by this authority. Students should regularly check the official JoSAA and NTA websites for updates.