Kamal had cleared JEE (Mains) and remembers the moment he changed his decision regarding joining NIT Mizoram. “I was worried about placements and had doubts about adjusting there,” says Kamal, a resident of Jorhat, Assam.
After getting selected, he searched online and spoke to friends from Mizoram, only to realise that the campus was in a remote area with limited exposure. “Traveling from Assam to Mizoram was also a challenge, and I was unsure about the local environment,” he adds.
Kamal wanted a college experience that went beyond just academics. “I was looking for better exposure, good faculty, and campus life that offered extracurricular opportunities. The more I researched, the more I felt that NIT Mizoram might not be the right fit for me,” he said.
When his State entrance results came out, he had more options. Ultimately, he chose to join Guwahati University instead. “I wanted a holistic experience. The university had better opportunities, including in sports”
Kamal’s dilemma is not unique. Many students from the Northeast face similar challenges when it comes to engineering admissions. Despite the home state quotas that can land easy seats in National Institutes of Technology (NIT), participation in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) remains significantly low across the region.
According to the Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB), a substantial number of seats in NITs remain vacant each year. In response, CSAB has launched extensive awareness campaigns, media outreach programs, and interactive sessions in schools and colleges to encourage more students to take part in JEE. However, barriers such as infrastructure, coaching availability, and career prospects continue to deter many.
The CSAB initiative
CSAB has launched a series of media briefings and awareness programs targeting students from the seven Northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. These initiatives include engaging students through sessions at NIT+ systems and schools to disseminate information on the benefits of JEE participation. Additionally, CSAB is conducting workshops on the home state quota, career opportunities in engineering and technology and the NIT+ system, raising awareness about the registration process and its importance.
A key component of this initiative is the CSAB-NEUT (North Eastern States and Some Union Territories) program, which provides reserved seats in AICTE-approved institutions across India for students from the region. This special quota is aimed at ensuring that students from the seven states with limited engineering colleges or technical education facilities can access quality education in premier institutions. However, despite these provisions, many seats under the home state quota remain unfilled.
Each year, nearly 24,000 seats are available across NITs in India. In 2025, approximately 2,000 seats are expected to be reserved under the State Quota for the NIT system in the northeastern states, along with 740 seats under the NEUT category. In 2023, 12,000 seats were allocated under the ‘Other’ (50 percent) category, which allows students from across the country to compete in seats in the seven northeastern states. However, only 1.1 percent of students from the northeast were admitted to the seats reserved for them, highlighting the low engagement from the region.
Challenges
Kamal, who, after studying BTech in Guwahati, wrote GATE and is now doing his M.Tech at IIT Kharagpur from Jorhat, Assam, talked more on the barriers preventing students from the Northeast from pursuing engineering through JEE. He pointed out that infrastructural challenges, lack of permanent campuses, and inadequate hostel facilities deter students from enrolling in NITs such as NIT Meghalaya, NIT Mizoram, and NIT Nagaland.
“Many students I know have given up their government seats in NITs and opted for private colleges that offer better infrastructure, faculty, and exposure. The lack of hostels makes it difficult for students from remote areas to study in these institutions. Moreover, students from outside the Northeast hesitate to join NITs here due to concerns about connectivity, language barriers, and safety,” Kamal explained.
For local students, the preference is often to stay within their state or move to nearby states rather than relocate to far-off cities in India. Many students from remote areas prefer to migrate to Guwahati for higher education rather than opt for NITs in their home states due to better facilities and employment opportunities.
“I appeared for the JEE exam last year while still in school, but it was tough, and I couldn’t score well,” Suhani, a Class 12 student from Tezpur, Assam, said, who is preparing for JEE again this year. “I appeared for the JEE exam last year while still in school, but it was tough, and I couldn’t score well. This year, I am preparing again, but without dedicated coaching centers for JEE, I have to rely solely on self-study. There is no assistance available for the exam at all,” she shared her struggles with the lack of coaching facilities in her region.
Being from the general category, Suhani also highlighted the intense competition despite the existence of state quotas. “Although there is a separate state quota, I still have to perform well to secure a seat in an IIT or NIT. When asked about the state quota and its counseling process, she hesitantly admitted, “I think I will have to change my career in the end if I don’t get a good seat.”
Experts weigh in
“Assam likely has better infrastructure, which is why we’ve seen more students from there attempting JEE. Surprisingly, the number of JEE applicants has increased this time,” Professor Renu Singh, Country Director of Young Lives India, notes while highlighting infrastructure and educational challenges as primary reasons for low JEE participation in the region. Young Lives India tracks early child development.
Ms. Singh emphasised that poor coaching availability and the schools’ inability to prepare students for competitive exams contribute significantly to the problem. “If students are not given the necessary exposure, if the school curriculum lacks room for experiments and scientific development, they won’t reach the intellectual level needed for JEE,” she explained.
Ms. Singh also pointed out the lack of proper career counselling in schools, which leaves students unaware of their true potential. “Career counselling should start early, in students’ native languages, so they don’t choose subjects based solely on their marks but on their aptitude,” she suggested.
“Are textbooks printed in their languages? Are there teachers and trainers who can coach them in their mother tongue? India is diverse, and we should ensure equal opportunities by treating all citizens fairly,” she said. Language barriers and financial constraints further discourage students from appearing for JEE, she asserted. Additionally, Ms. Singh highlighted how financial difficulties prevent students from traveling outside their state for coaching and studies, reinforcing the need for better educational infrastructure within the region.
Coaching classes dedicated to JEE haven’t really struck roots in the seven States, bucking the all-India trend. Educationist Balaji Sampath who runs AhaGuru talks about the challenges of physical coaching classes. “It’s hard for students to travel long distances just to attend coaching classes. Given these challenges, online coaching is a better alternative, despite the frequent internet shutdowns in the region.”
He also pointed out the lack of coaching guidance in the Northeast compared to Delhi and other metropolitan cities. “There are very few people to guide students here in the Northeast. Speaking from personal experience, students have to work much harder to find resources,” he noted.
Mr. Sampath said educational trends show a strong link between parental exposure to education and children’s access to schooling. “If the previous generation was educated, they are more likely to ensure their children receive an education. But many families in the Northeast, Bihar, and Jammu and Kashmir still face systemic barriers,” he added.
On language barriers, Mr. Sampath highlighted that his institution, Ahaguru, provides English training programmes in Northeast states, particularly in Mizoram. “Most languages in the Northeast use English for written communication, but students still struggle with proficiency. Competitive exam aspirants, in particular, face significant hurdles due to weak English skills,” he said.
Socio-economic barriers, increasing awareness
CSAB officials, including Chairperson Prof. Anindya Basu, have acknowledged the issue and emphasised the need for large-scale awareness campaigns. “Despite having ample seats reserved for local students, the participation rate remains low. To bridge this gap, we are conducting awareness programs to inform students about JEE registration, counselling processes, and the benefits of home state quotas,” he stated.
Financial constraints and lack of awareness about scholarships and financial aid options also contribute to the low participation rate. Many students and parents are not fully informed about the financial support available for engineering aspirants from the region. Additionally, there is a need to educate students about the multiple attempts allowed for JEE. Candidates can appear up to six times in three consecutive years following their Class 12th exams.
With continued awareness programs, policy interventions, and infrastructural improvements, the participation of students from the Northeast in JEE could see a positive shift. However, as Prof. Renu Singh highlighted, the real challenge lies beyond just increasing numbers; it is about ensuring students have the guidance, resources, and support they need to compete on an equal footing. How well these gaps are addressed will ultimately decide the future of engineering aspirants from the region.
Published – February 14, 2025 06:21 pm IST