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The Gulf Quota officially known as the CIWG (Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries) Scheme, continues to be one of the most preferred admission pathways for NRI students and parents living in Gulf nations. It is especially popular among NRI families residing in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, and also among students living in the USA whose parents are employed in these Gulf countries.
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To understand the Gulf Quota in Indian engineering colleges, it is essential to understand how the DASA Scheme and its sub-category CIWG operate, including their seat reservation system for NRI students.
Under the DASA Scheme, around 2400 supernumerary seats are made available each year in participating engineering institutions such as NITs, IIITs, SPAs, and CFTIs.
These seats are reserved for NRI, OCI, PIO, and Foreign National students across the globe, including those living in the USA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Students securing admission under DASA must qualify through JEE Main, which is now the only accepted entrance exam for 2026–27.
As per the CIWG (Children of Indian Workers in Gulf) Scheme, 1/3rd of all DASA seats are reserved specifically for NRI students whose parent is employed in a Gulf country.
This means that approximately 800 CIWG seats are available exclusively to students from families working in:
NRI students living in the USA can also apply under CIWG only if one parent is currently employed in one of the above Gulf nations and provides valid documentation as per DASA guidelines.
The reality is that many NRI parents, especially those living in the USA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, are still unaware of how limited and competitive the Gulf Quota (CIWG Category) seats actually are. Although CIWG is one of the most beneficial pathways for NRI students due to its significantly lower tuition fees, the total number of seats available under the Gulf Quota remains limited to roughly one-third of the DASA seats, making it highly competitive.
To help families understand the opportunity clearly, here is a simplified walkthrough of how NRI seat reservation works under the Gulf Quota / CIWG Quota, and why early preparation for JEE Main is crucial for securing one of these limited seats.
|
State |
Name of the College |
No. of Seats |
No. of Seats Reserved for NRIs (under CIWG Quota) |
|
Andhra Pradesh | School of Planning & Architecture, Vijayawada |
105 |
6 |
|
Arunachal Pradesh | National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh |
210 |
12 |
|
Assam | National Institute of Technology, Silchar |
632 |
4 |
| Tezpur University, Assam |
Not Available |
4 | |
|
Bihar | National Institute of Technology, Patna |
577 |
25 |
|
Chhattisgarh | National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chattisgarh |
955 |
8 |
|
Delhi | National Institute of Technology, Delhi |
180 |
9 |
| School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi |
Not Available |
5 | |
| Delhi Technological University, Delhi |
1626 |
32 | |
| Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi |
Not Available |
7 | |
| Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Delhi |
Not Available |
9 | |
|
Goa | National Institute of Technology, Goa |
90 |
5 |
|
Gujarat | Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat |
873 |
35 |
| Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara |
140 |
5 | |
| Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar |
Not Available |
39 | |
|
Haryana | National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra |
832 |
12 |
| The University Institute of Engineering of Technology (UIET), Chandigarh |
Not Available |
21 | |
|
| The University Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology (UICET), Chandigarh |
Not Available |
7 |
|
Himachal Pradesh | National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur |
718 |
11 |
|
Jammu & Kashmir | National Institute of Technology, Srinagar |
632 |
18 |
| Shri Mata Vaishno Devi , Katra, Jammu & Kashmir |
199 |
9 | |
|
Jharkhand | National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur |
601 |
8 |
| National Institute of Foundry & Forge Technology, Ranchi |
199 |
10 | |
|
Karnataka | National Institute of Technology, Surathkal |
740 |
37 |
|
Kerala | National Institute of Technology, Calicut |
937 |
31 |
|
Madhya Pradesh | Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal |
937 |
30 |
| School of Planning & Architecture, Bhopal |
Not Available |
4 | |
| Indian Insitute of Information Technology, Jabalpur |
Not Available |
3 | |
|
Maharashtra | Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur |
746 |
20 |
| National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Aurangabad |
Not Available |
3 | |
|
Manipur | National Institute of Technology, Manipur |
180 |
9 |
|
Meghalaya | National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya |
150 |
0 |
|
Mizoram | National Institute of Technology, Mizoram |
150 |
8 |
|
Odisha | National Institute of Technology, Rourkela |
850 |
38 |
|
Punjab | National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab |
786 |
26 |
| PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh (deemed to be university) |
Not Available |
25 | |
| Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Longowal |
Not Available |
24 | |
| UIET Punjab University Swami Sarvanand Giri Regional Centre (UIET PUSSRC), Hoshiarpur |
Not Available |
8 | |
|
Rajasthan | National Institute of Technology, Jaipur |
710 |
18 |
|
Sikkim | National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Sikkim |
215 |
9 |
|
Tamil Nadu | National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Karaikkal |
240 |
24 |
| National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu |
814 |
38 | |
| Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram |
280 |
8 | |
| Indian Maritime University (IMU) |
Not Available |
Not Available | |
|
Telangana | National Institute of Technology, Warangal |
800 |
37 |
|
Tripura | National Institute of Technology, Agartala |
867 |
41 |
|
Uttar Pradesh | Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh |
814 |
41 |
| Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh |
300 |
3 | |
|
Uttarakhand | National Institute of Technology, Uttarakhand |
300 |
7 |
|
West Bengal | National Institute of Technology, Durgapur |
672 |
10 |
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Q1. Will the DASA Scheme be available in 2026?
Yes. The DASA Scheme continues for the 2026 admission cycle for NRI, OCI, PIO, and Foreign National students, including those living in the USA and Middle East. Admissions remain JEE Main rank–based.
Q2. Will SAT or SAT Subject Tests be valid for DASA 2026 admissions?
No. SAT and SAT Subject Tests are not accepted for DASA/CIWG from 2021 onward. For 2026, only JEE Main Rank & Percentile will be considered for admission.
Q3. What is the advantage of JEE Main over SAT for DASA/CIWG 2026?
JEE Main is the only official entrance exam for DASA/CIWG. It ensures uniform evaluation and transparent seat allocation across NITs, IIITs, SPAs, and CFTIs. SAT has no role in DASA admissions.
Q4. What is the eligibility criteria for NRI/OCI/PIO candidates under DASA/CIWG 2026?
Candidates must have completed Grade 12 with Math + Physics + one science subject, hold a valid passport, show proof of foreign residency, and submit a valid JEE Main 2026 rank. CIWG applicants must also submit Gulf parent employment documents.
Q5. Which grade students are eligible to take JEE Main for DASA 2026?
Students currently in Grade 12 or those who have already completed Grade 12/equivalent can appear for JEE Main 2026 for DASA/CIWG admissions.
Q6. Is JEE Main officially mandatory for DASA/CIWG 2026?
Yes. JEE Main is officially mandatory. No notification indicates any return to SAT-based admissions. Students in the USA and Middle East must appear for JEE Main 2026 to qualify.
Q7. Can the government withdraw the JEE Main requirement in future cycles?
Unlikely. This change aligns DASA with India’s national engineering admission framework. No government communication suggests reversing the JEE requirement for 2026.
Q8. Has the qualifying exam requirement changed for DASA/CIWG 2026?
The academic minimum (60% or 6.5 CGPA in Grade 12) is expected to continue, but candidates should verify the updated criteria once the 2026 DASA brochure is released.
Q9. How should NRI students prepare for JEE to apply under DASA/CIWG 2026?
NRI students, especially from the USA & Middle East, should follow NCERT-based preparation, join structured JEE coaching, take mock tests regularly, and practice PYQs to meet competitive DASA/CIWG cutoffs.
Q10. What will be the expected JEE Rank cutoff for DASA/CIWG 2026?
Cutoffs vary by year and competition. For top branches (CSE, ECE, IT), strong JEE Main percentiles are required. Exact cutoffs will be published only after DASA 2026 counselling rounds.
Q11. Do NRI students need coaching to clear JEE Main for DASA/CIWG admissions?
While not mandatory, coaching is highly recommended-especially for USA & Middle East NRIs who may not study NCERT textbooks. Coaching improves consistency, clarity, and JEE rank.
Q12. What is considered the best online JEE coaching for NRI students in 2026?
Programs offering NCERT-aligned JEE preparation, weekly testing, analytics, doubt clearing, and USA–Middle East time-zone batches are ideal. Choose institutes familiar with DASA/CIWG–focused preparation.
Q13. How do students submit JEE Main Rank on the DASA portal?
After JEE Main results are released, students must log in to the official DASA portal, upload required documents, and enter their JEE Main Rank, Percentile, and Scorecard. Final guidelines are shared during registration.
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