JoSAA 2026 Supernumerary Seats for Girls – How Many & Which IITs?
All 23 IITs provide 20% additional Female Supernumerary (FS) seats above regular intake. Here is everything female JEE candidates need to know.
What Are IIT Supernumerary Seats for Female Candidates?
The IIT Council introduced supernumerary seats for female candidates as part of a broader initiative to increase the gender ratio at IITs. Historically, female enrollment at IITs was below 10% — far below the national average for engineering colleges. The supernumerary scheme, implemented from 2018 onwards, added seats equal to 20% of the existing program intake exclusively for female candidates.
Crucially, these are supernumerary — meaning they are additional seats, not carved out of existing seats. A branch with 100 seats for general admission gets 20 extra FS seats, bringing the total female-accessible capacity to 120. Male candidates still compete for all 100 original seats. Nothing is taken away from male candidates.
This scheme covers all 23 IITs and applies to all programs offered through JoSAA — B.Tech, B.Arch, Dual Degree (B.Tech+M.Tech), and Integrated M.Tech. It does not apply to NITs or IIITs.
Key Numbers
Across all 23 IITs, the supernumerary scheme adds over 1,500 additional seats for female candidates each year. This is a significant opportunity that female JEE Advanced qualifiers should strategically exploit in their JoSAA choice filling.
How to Identify and Add FS Seats in JoSAA Choice Filling
Search for your target branch at any IIT
When you search for choices in JoSAA, you will see each program listed multiple times with different seat types: Open, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, and the FS (Female Supernumerary) variants for each.
Add the FS version ABOVE the regular version
For example, if you want IIT Bombay CSE, add 'IIT Bombay — CSE — Open (FS)' as a higher preference than 'IIT Bombay — CSE — Open'. This way, if you qualify for the FS seat (which has a different, often more accessible closing rank), you get it. If you don't, the regular Open version is your fallback.
Add FS versions for ALL branches you want
Go through your entire choice list and add the FS version of every choice you add. Female candidates who do not add FS choices are leaving significant opportunity on the table.
FS seats are still competitive — check previous closing ranks
While FS closing ranks are generally more relaxed than Open closing ranks for the same branch, they are still competitive for top branches. IIT Bombay CSE FS may close around rank 1,000–1,500 among female JEE Advanced qualifiers. Research actual closing ranks from JoSAA 2024 and 2025 data.
Illustrative FS Seat Numbers Across Major IITs
These numbers are illustrative and based on ~20% of approximate intakes. Check the official JoSAA 2026 seat matrix for exact figures.
| IIT | Branch | Regular Intake | FS Seats (20%) | Total for Female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | Computer Science | 70 | +14 | 84 |
| IIT Delhi | Computer Science | 62 | +12 | 74 |
| IIT Madras | Computer Science | 60 | +12 | 72 |
| IIT Bombay | Electrical Engineering | 75 | +15 | 90 |
| IIT Kharagpur | Electronics & ECE | 60 | +12 | 72 |
| IIT Roorkee | Computer Science | 50 | +10 | 60 |
FS Seats vs Regular Seats: Closing Rank Comparison
The FS category closing rank (female JEE Advanced CRL) and the Open category closing rank (all JEE Advanced CRL) for the same branch are calculated separately because they draw from different candidate pools:
- Open seats are filled from all JEE Advanced qualifiers regardless of gender. The closing rank is determined by all candidates.
- FS seats are filled only from female JEE Advanced qualifiers. The closing rank is determined only by female candidates who listed this choice.
In practice, for most branches at most IITs, the FS closing rank is significantly more accessible for female candidates than the Open closing rank for the same branch. This is because the FS pool is smaller (only female candidates) and the FS seat count is additional.
Strategy: A female candidate with JEE Advanced rank 2,500 might not get IIT Bombay CSE Open (closes around 100–150 all-India) but may get IIT Bombay CSE FS if the FS closing rank in her category is within 2,500.
JoSAA 2027: complete guide
Dates, eligibility, pattern, syllabus, result and counselling in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about JoSAA 2026 supernumerary seats for female candidates
1What are supernumerary seats for girls in IITs?
2How many supernumerary seats does each IIT have?
3How do supernumerary seats appear in the JoSAA choice list?
4Do supernumerary seats affect male candidates at all?
5Is the closing rank for supernumerary FS seats different from regular Open seats?
Know Your College
Before Counselling
Predict your college using JoSAA 2026 cutoff data across IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
Related Links
Quick Tip for Female Candidates
Always add the FS version of every IIT choice above the regular version in your JoSAA choice list. It only takes a few extra clicks and can open up a significantly better allotment.