MUMBAI: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi zone emerged as the standout performer in the JEE (Advanced) 2026 merit list, capturing the top three all-India ranks as well as the highest-ranked female candidate. The results also revealed a notable social trend: for the first time, Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates achieved a higher qualification rate (52.8%) compared to general category candidates (41.3%).
Top Rankers
Shubham Kumar, son of a hardware shop owner from Gaya, secured the All India Rank (AIR) 1 with an impressive 330 out of 360 marks. He was followed by Kabeer Chhillar from Gurugram, who scored 329 marks. Jatin Chahar from the IIT Delhi zone and Mohit Shukla from the IIT Madras zone claimed the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Arohi Deshpande, originally from Hyderabad, emerged as the highest-ranked female candidate, securing AIR 77 with 280 marks. In the SC category, Kovid Boob from Nagpur topped the list with AIR 82.
Understanding IIT Zones
The IIT zones refer to the location of the exam city where candidates appeared for the test, not necessarily their place of residence or study. This year's results highlight the academic strength of the IIT Delhi zone.
Social Trend
The higher qualification rate for SC candidates marks a significant milestone, reflecting the impact of targeted educational initiatives and reservation policies. This achievement underscores the growing inclusivity in India's premier engineering entrance examination.
