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MHT-CET Reservation Policy 2026

Category-wise seat reservation percentages and rules for Maharashtra's CAP admission process

Overview of Maharashtra's Reservation Structure

Admissions through MHT-CET into Maharashtra's engineering and pharmacy colleges follow the state's reservation policy, which reserves a share of seats for candidates from specific social and economic categories, in addition to horizontal reservations like PwD and Defence quota. These reservations apply during the CAP (Centralized Admission Process) rounds, on top of the Home University/Other University seat-type split.

The reservation percentages and category list are notified by the Maharashtra government and the State CET Cell each academic year, and can be amended due to policy or court decisions. Treat any percentage figure as indicative, and refer to the current official CAP information brochure for confirmed numbers.

Indicative Category Structure

CategoryTypeNotes
SCVerticalRequires valid caste certificate & validity certificate
STVerticalRequires valid caste certificate & validity certificate
OBCVerticalRequires non-creamy layer certificate (valid period)
VJ/DT-NTVerticalNomadic/De-notified Tribes sub-categories
SBCVerticalSpecial Backward Class
EWSVerticalRequires income/EWS certificate
PwDHorizontal (cuts across categories)Applies within whichever vertical category the candidate belongs to
Defence/Ex-ServicemenHorizontalApplicable to wards/dependents as per policy

* This table is indicative of the general structure historically used in Maharashtra's CAP process, not the confirmed 2026 percentages. Reservation percentages, eligibility rules and documentation requirements are set by the State CET Cell/government each year — verify in the official CAP brochure.

Related Pages

Understand how your category-based reservation interacts with Maharashtra's university-zone system on our Home University vs Other University page, and check how your percentile translates to rank on the MHT-CET Merit List 2026 page.

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Frequently Asked Questions — MHT-CET Reservation Policy 2026

Common questions about category-wise reservation rules in Maharashtra's CAP process

1
What categories are covered under MHT-CET's reservation policy?
Maharashtra's CAP reservation policy for MHT-CET typically covers SC, ST, OBC (Other Backward Class), VJ/DT-NT (Vimukta Jati/Nomadic Tribes), SBC (Special Backward Class), EWS (Economically Weaker Section), and horizontal reservations such as Persons with Disability (PwD), Defence/Ex-Servicemen, and Orphan candidates, among others as notified. The exact list and percentage breakdown is published in the official CAP information brochure each year.
2
What percentage of seats are reserved for each category?
Historically, Maharashtra's reservation structure has followed broad percentages such as SC (~13%), ST (~7%), OBC (~19%), VJ/NT and SBC categories with smaller individual percentages, and EWS (~10%), summing with the open category to 100%, subject to applicable caps and any court-mandated adjustments. These percentages are set and can be revised by the state government — always refer to the current year's official CAP brochure rather than assuming fixed figures.
3
Is domicile required to claim reservation benefits in MHT-CET?
Yes, for most state-level reservation categories (SC, ST, OBC, VJ/NT, SBC, EWS as applicable under Maharashtra's policy), candidates generally need to have Maharashtra domicile and the relevant caste/category certificate issued by a competent Maharashtra authority. Candidates without Maharashtra domicile typically compete only under the All India / General seats, not the state reservation categories.
4
How does reservation interact with Home University vs Other University quota?
These are two separate, overlapping layers in Maharashtra's CAP seat matrix. A reserved-category candidate's seat is still further split by Home University/Other University status — meaning a SC-category candidate from the Home University zone competes within the Home University-SC quota, while a SC-category candidate from outside the zone competes within the Other University-SC quota. See our dedicated page on Home University vs Other University for details.
5
What documents are needed to claim category-based reservation?
Typically required documents include a valid caste/category certificate, caste validity certificate (for SC/ST/VJ-NT/OBC in many cases), non-creamy layer certificate (for OBC/SBC, where applicable, within its validity period), income/EWS certificate (for EWS), and domicile proof. Exact document requirements and submission deadlines are specified in the official CAP brochure — incomplete or expired documents can result in losing the reservation benefit during verification.
6
Does PwD reservation apply across all categories?
Yes, PwD (Persons with Disability) reservation is typically a horizontal reservation, meaning it cuts across all categories (General, SC, ST, OBC, etc.) rather than being a separate vertical quota — a PwD candidate from, say, the OBC category can claim benefits under both OBC vertical reservation and PwD horizontal reservation, as per the applicable rules notified by the State CET Cell.

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Disclaimer

Reservation percentages, categories and documentation rules are set and periodically revised by the Maharashtra government/State CET Cell. Verify current details in the official CAP information brochure before relying on this page.