Hi Ashish. Hope you are keeping well. I was thinking for preparing for CAT exam, (Here is my profile - 81 in 10th , 73 in 12th, 48% in graduation(scored less due to medical condition), 69% in post grad. (Mcom) and 30 months of work experience in Pwc. My question is can i give cat exam as my graduation percentage is below 50 and i am an obc too. And if i cannot give cat exam what other options are availsble for me to do mba from tier 1 colleges which can give me better placements. It would be great if you would give some names for the colleges i should target for.

Ans: Sachin Sir, At a CRL rank of 41,000, securing a seat in DA-IICT’s regular B.Tech programs is unlikely, as recent closing ranks for ICT, MnC, and VLSI are much higher. However, the institute’s newly launched 5-year BS–MS Dual Degree programs in IT and Data Science & AI offer a more realistic alternative. These programs admit students based on JEE Main Mathematics percentile or CUET scores, not overall CRL, and since 2026 is their first admission cycle, competition may be less intense.

This 5-year, 200-credit curriculum is ideal if your son is passionate about coding, AI, data science, cybersecurity, or research-oriented tech careers—provided the fee structure and longer commitment are manageable. It’s also wise to keep several reliable backup options rather than relying solely on DA-IICT.

Ultimately, success depends less on the degree and more on how your son invests his time: honing technical and communication skills, building a professional profile through projects/internships, networking with alumni and industry experts, maintaining visibility on platforms like LinkedIn, and developing emotional intelligence to confidently navigate his career path. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Your query has already been replied. Please copy and paste the following link into your browser to read it: https://gurus.rediff.com/question/qdtl/career/day-scored-crl-36600-jee-mains-2026-general-category-without/5251183

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Radheshyam

Ans: While the IIT Madras BS in Data Science is a government-recognized, UGC-entitled degree, it is highly recommended to pursue it alongside a regular, on-campus undergraduate degree. A traditional, physical campus experience provides essential components that an online program inherently lacks: professional networking, holistic skill development, and versatility. A core campus degree (like B.Tech, B.Sc., or B.Com) combined with the IITM BS provides a powerful "hybrid" profile, showcasing both disciplinary depth and specialized technical expertise. The IITM program is specifically designed for this flexibility. Many students leverage it as a "value-add" qualification, significantly enhancing their employability by stacking high-demand data science skills onto their primary foundational degree. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Sriram Sir, you have not mentioned which Board (State/CBSE etc.) you are referring to? From which online platform did you come to know this? What your son has been doing since July 2024 till today? Please clarify these to answer precisely.

Ans: Kumar, for IIIT-Delhi CSAI, your chance is very good as a Delhi OBC-NCL candidate through JAC-Delhi. It is advisable to also participate in JoSAA/CSAB apart from having 4-5 reputed Private Engineering Colleges as backups in and around Delhi.
All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Sahadev Sir, With OBC-NCL rank around 181,452, chances through JoSAA for NITs/IIITs are almost nil, because even lower-demand branches usually close far earlier. For GFTIs, chances are also very low in JoSAA, but he should still fill maximum choices, especially lower-demand branches like Civil, Mechanical, Food/Agriculture-related branches, and less popular GFTIs. The better chance may come in CSAB Special Rounds, which fill vacant seats after JoSAA. It is also advisable to have 4-5 backups of Private Engineering Colleges apart from your son's State Counselling, instead of relying only on JoSAA/CSAB. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

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Ans: Most boards allow candidates to appear for a single-subject improvement in the next year (2026), but not specifically in July. Improvements are only allowed during the regular board exam cycle (Feb–Mar 2026). However, you must verify the exact year’s eligibility when forms open for your board exams, including limits on improvement attempts and timing. It is highly advisable to contact the administrative office of your college and the board office for the most recent updates.

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Radheshyam

Ans: IIIT Jabalpur CSE > MANIT Bhopal ECE > IIITM Gwalior IT+MBA (only if comfortable with an integrated/dual-degree structure) > MANIT Bhopal Mathematics & Data Science > Top NIT EE. The final preference order and choice will be yours. We can only recommend, but it is not mandatory to follow it.

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Radheshyam

Ans: Consider colleges like Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering, Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, and Vidyalankar Institute of Technology, and possibly lower CS-related branches or better non-CS branches at higher colleges. CS at VJTI/COEP/SPIT is unlikely at this percentile, based on recent cutoff trends. Hope your son appeared for MHT-CET. If he scores well in this examination, the chances of CSE are higher in colleges like COEP/PICT/VIT, etc. (You did not mention anything about the MHT-CET examination.)

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Radheshyam