Tier 1 — Elite NITs (Closing Rank Below 11,203)
These elite NITs — NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Malaviya NIT Jaipur, and NIT Delhi and others — offer AI & Data Science (Gender-Neutral) accessible only to candidates with JEE Main Category Ranks at or below 11,203. Competition here is among the most intense in Indian engineering admissions. NIT Karnataka, Surathkal and NIT Delhi are showing tightening competition year-over-year — meaning these seats are becoming progressively harder to secure. Notably, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra shows an easing trend year-over-year, potentially offering a marginal window for borderline aspirants.