It may be noted that the merit list is prepared based on marks obtained by the candidate in Paper I and II of JEE Advanced.

Highlights the new guidelines issused by Ministry of HRD

• IITs will have to prepare separate merit lists for girl candidates from academic session 2018-19 and ensure minimum 14% seats are filled by girls.
• To meet the new quota, supernumerary seats will be created. This is most likely to ensure boy candidates are not affected; as per the guidelines, their number cannot go below the 2017 level.
• The separate merit list will be published after the common merit list of JEE Advanced 2018 has been published. If the number of number of girl candidates in the rank list published by a particular IIT is below 14 percent, the concerned IIT will have to prepare separate merit list for girl candidates and reach the 14 per cent mark.
• All the existing reservation policy will be applicable to the newly created seats.
• Also, as a result of the 14 per cent quota for girls, the number of seats in the IITs will go up to 11, 509 from the existing 10,988.

A few dissenting voices

Some critics see the move as an indirect way of introducing gender reservation in the IITs. Others claim that separate lists for girls would mean deserving male candidates losing out on a seat in the IITs. A source close to an IIT in fact disclosed that the IITs will be now have to arrange bridge courses for many of the female candidates, which will burden the IITs.

Things you need to know about JEE Advanced Merit List

• To be included in merit or rank list of JEE Advanced, candidates need to appear in both Paper I and Paper II of JEE Advanced 2018
• The JEE Advanced merit list will be prepared combining marks obtained by the candidate in both papers
• To be included in the merit list, candidates need to score the minimum qualifying marks in their respective categories.
• A candidate can appear in multiple rank lists; for example a SC candidate can appear simultaneouly in common merit list, SC list, and now SC list for girls.