Can I Get Into an NIT with a 90+ Percentile in the OBC Category?

Ans: Please expect lower NIT branches or ECE/CSE in lower IIITs, but not CSE/ECE in top NITs/IIITs.

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: Based on your score, expected CRL may be around 1.55–1.70 lakh, so Cyber Security/CSE-related branches in NITs/IIITs through JoSAA are very difficult for General/Open category. JoSAA official archives show that admissions are strictly based on opening/closing ranks, and CSE-related branches usually close much earlier.

You may still fill choices for IIIT Kottayam Cyber Security, IIIT Bhagalpur, IIIT Una, IIIT Kalyani, IIIT Dharwad, IIIT Nagpur, IIIT Bhopal, and lower GFTIs, but chances are low unless you have a category/home-state/female quota benefit or get a seat in CSAB special rounds. It is advisable to back up options of your State Counselling & 4-5 reputed private engineering colleges for Cybersecurity instead of relying only on JoSAA. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: IIT Mandi General Engineering is a good option if you are genuinely undecided. It gives broad exposure in the first two years to Mechanical, Civil, Data Science and Computer Science, then allows specialisations such as Energy Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, e-Mobility, AI & Robotics, product design, animation/fashion-tech, etc. IIT Mandi also mentions possible one-year exposure at partner institutes/industry.

Placement data is still evolving because this is a new 2023 programme, so branch-wise placement proof is limited. Choose it for flexibility + IIT tag, not for guaranteed CSE-like placements. It suits students who like interdisciplinary engineering, design, robotics, mobility, manufacturing or entrepreneurship. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: He has a good chance of admission to NITs/IIITs. Both top NITs and IIITs have strong records. NITs offer broader campus life and a wider range of branches, while IIITs provide stronger, more focused CS/AI exposure. Neither is universally “better”; prefer AI/ML at IIIT Lucknow over Chemical at NIT Trichy if his interest is in CS/AI and future studies in that field.

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: Some recommended colleges for Cybersecurity for your son are Amity University Noida, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies Faridabad, SRM University Delhi NCR Sonepat, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University affiliated colleges, Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies Technical Campus VIPS Delhi, SGT University Gurgaon, and Geeta University Panipat. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: You may get some lower-demand GFTIs/state govt colleges, and should focus more on Andhra Pradesh state counselling. Keep CSAB/JoSAA for slim-chance lower branches in very low-cutoff institutes

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: Harsha, based on your score, your best chances depend heavily on Home State quota. Prefer Mechanical only if available in NIT Hamirpur, Jalandhar, Patna, Raipur, Agartala, Silchar, Srinagar, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland or Sikkim in later JoSAA/CSAB rounds. Have 3-4 reputed private engineering colleges as backups in and around your State instead of relying only on JoSAA/CSAB. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: With JEE Main CRL 81,537, NIT/IIIT/GFTI CSE through JoSAA is unlikely. For MIT Manipal/MIT Bengaluru, chances look better. MET 2026 rank uses 50% MET + 50% Class 12 marks; your son has 138/240 MET + 92% boards, so the final merit rank may be competitive. In 2025, MIT Manipal CSE closed at 5606 and MIT Bengaluru CSE at 13,834 in later rounds. Therefore, MIT Bengaluru CSE is more realistic, while MIT Manipal core CSE is difficult but worth trying. It is recommended to have 3-4 more reputed Private Engineering Colleges as backups. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Kasi Sir, based on your son's score, top NIT CSE is unlikely, as NIT Trichy/Surathkal/Warangal/Allahabad/Calicut CSE usually close much earlier in JoSAA. Realistic CSE/IT chances are newer/lower NITs through home-state quota, IIITs like Una, Kottayam, Dharwad, Kalyani, Bhagalpur, Sonepat/Nagpur range may be possible depending on category/state. Also try CSAB. It is advisable to have State Counselling & 3-4 reputed Private Engineering Colleges as backups. All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.