JEE Advanced Data Shows IITs Cutting Hundreds of BTech Seats in Core Engineering: Here's What Happened

An in-depth review of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced reports shows that over the past decade, several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have quietly reduced the number of undergraduate BTech seats offered in traditional core engineering disciplines such as chemical, mining, metallurgy, materials and textile engineering. The shift comes amid rising demand for computer science and allied branches, and changing industry preferences.
 

Seat Cuts Across Traditional Core Branches

Analysis of JEE Advanced Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) reports from 2015 to 2025 reveals notable declines in open (unreserved) BTech seats at many of India’s oldest and most prestigious IITs, including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT (BHU) Varanasi and ISM Dhanbad. 

Some of the key trends over this period:

• Metallurgical & Materials Engineering at IIT Roorkee saw the sharpest drop, losing over 54.5% of its open intake from 2015 to 2025. 

• Textile Engineering at IIT Delhi witnessed a roughly 48% reduction in open seats. 

• Seats in Chemical Engineering shrank significantly at IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IIT Roorkee. 

• Mining Engineering at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad saw open seats fall by more than a third. 

Other core disciplines like aerospace, civil, biomaterials, petroleum and certain specialized mechanical branches also experienced seat contractions at select IITs, although not as steep as the trends in traditional metallurgical and mining disciplines. 

What’s Behind the Cuts? Demand and Market Forces

Experts and faculty point to several interrelated reasons for these changes:

1. Shifting Student Preferences

Today’s JEE Advanced qualifiers are increasingly opting for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related IT fields. As a result, longstanding but lower-demand core branches have seen reduced interest over the years, prompting institutes to reassess seat allocations. 

2. Employment and Placement Trends

Core sectors such as chemical or mining engineering often offer less attractive placement packages compared with CSE and AI-driven disciplines. One former IIT professor noted that many students gravitate toward branches perceived as more lucrative in the job market, which influences seat allocation decisions. 

3. Institutional Strategy

Some IITs have rationalised their programmes to maintain faculty-to-student ratios and improve international rankings. Universities sometimes shift seats from older, less popular streams to newer, high-demand areas to strengthen overall competitiveness. 

4. Curriculum Focus and Future Tech

Certain traditional engineering disciplines have struggled to keep pace with rapid advancements in technology and industry demand for data-centric skills. Institutes are realigning to more interdisciplinary and future-oriented programmes to stay relevant.

Seat Matrix Trends: Despite Cuts, Total IIT Seats Grew

Interestingly, while many traditional branches lost seats over the last decade, the overall number of undergraduate seats across IITs has increased. According to official JoSAA/seat matrix data, undergraduate BTech, BS, and integrated programmes offered by the 23 IITs grew from around 10,006 seats in 2015 to over 18,160 seats for the 2025-26 academic year, marking a more than 80% rise. 

This growth has largely been driven by:

• Newer technology-driven branches

• Expansion in interdisciplinary areas such as AI and data science

• Increased intake in high-demand core sectors such as electrical and mechanical engineering

IITs That Cut BTech Seats in Core Engineering Branches (Open Category)

(Based on JEE Advanced / JoSAA seat matrix trends, 2015–2025)

Note:

• Figures indicate open (General) category seats only

• Seat counts are rounded and compiled from JoSAA/JEE Advanced seat matrices across years

• Percentage change calculated relative to 2015 intake

What This Means for JEE Advanced Aspirants

Fewer Seats, Higher Competition in Core Branches

Aspirants targeting traditional engineering branches at IITs may face higher competition due to reduced seat availability, especially in older IITs.

Rank Requirements May Increase

With fewer seats available, candidates may need better JEE Advanced ranks to secure admission in branches like chemical, mining, or metallurgical engineering compared to earlier years.

Changing Engineering Landscape

The data reflects a broader shift in engineering education towards computing, automation, and interdisciplinary technologies, aligning with global industry trends.

Core Engineering Is Not Disappearing

Despite seat cuts, experts caution against interpreting the data as a decline in the importance of core engineering.

“These disciplines remain critical to infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and national development,” a former IIT faculty member noted. However, student preferences and employment outcomes continue to shape admission patterns.

What Should Aspirants Watch For?

JEE Advanced candidates are advised to closely track:

• JoSAA seat matrices released each year

• Branch-wise closing ranks across IITs

• Emerging interdisciplinary programmes that combine core engineering with data and computing skills

Conclusion

A decade-long analysis of JEE Advanced data reveals a clear trend: while IITs have expanded overall undergraduate capacity, they have also cut hundreds of seats in select core engineering branches. The shift highlights evolving student preferences, placement realities, and institutional priorities in India’s premier engineering institutions.

For aspirants, informed decision-making—based on data, trends, and long-term career goals—has never been more important.