Tier 1 — Elite NITs (Closing Rank Below 6,670)
These elite NITs — NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Malaviya NIT Jaipur, and Maulana Azad NIT Bhopal and others — offer AI & Data Science (Female-only (including Supernumerary)) accessible only to candidates with JEE Main Category Ranks at or below 6,670. Competition here is among the most intense in Indian engineering admissions. National Institute of Technology, Rourkela and Maulana Azad NIT Bhopal are showing tightening competition year-over-year — meaning these seats are becoming progressively harder to secure. Notably, NIT Karnataka, Surathkal and Malaviya NIT Jaipur and others show an easing trend year-over-year, potentially offering a marginal window for borderline aspirants.