Hello Hitesh

• A state EWS certificate is usually not valid for JEE Advanced or JoSAA counselling.

• You’ll need an EWS certificate in the central government format, as required by IITs.

• Even if issued by your local authority, it must clearly mention it’s as per Govt. of India norms.

• You can visit your tahsildar/revenue office and request it in the “central format for JEE.”

• Make sure the issue date is after April 1, 2025, for it to be valid in 2026 counselling.

• You don’t need it at the time of JEE Main, only during Advanced registration and JoSAA.

• You still have enough time to get it updated, so no stress, just don’t delay it too long.