My son is in 11th now and will be appearing for IITJEE 2026. He has been studying in India since 6th standard. He wants to write both Mains and Advanced. Is it better for him in General or OCI category?

If your son is an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder, and has been studying in India since Class 6, he can take both the JEE Main and JEE Advanced. If he has completed his 10+2 education in India, he can also apply for admission for IITs. Based on current guidelines:

• OCI candidates are treated equally to Indian candidates at JEE Mains and Advanced provided the eligibility requirement is satisfied (especially educational qualifications and residence).
• He can access the General (Gen) category if he does not qualify for any reservation (for example, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC/ST).
• Your child will be in the General category, so he will be merit listed along with Indian candidates and can be allocated an IIT seat through JoSAA.

Recommendation: If your child does not qualify as a reserved category and is qualified to be an Indian citizen the General category is usually a good option. Just remember to look at the current JEEs brochure each year, since rules do change.

For IIT-JEE 2026, if your son has been studying in India since 6th standard and is eligible as a general category candidate, he should apply under the General category for both JEE Main and JEE Advanced. The OCI category is generally for individuals with foreign citizenship who are of Indian origin and seeking to apply for Indian educational institutions.

Elaboration:

General Category Eligibility:

Since your son has been studying in India since 6th standard, he is considered a general category candidate for JEE Main and JEE Advanced. He meets the requirements for these exams based on his schooling in India.

OCI Category:

OCI is a form of permanent residency for foreign nationals of Indian origin, allowing them to live and work in India indefinitely. It doesn't grant Indian citizenship and doesn't typically offer benefits for JEE exams.

JEE Main and JEE Advanced:

For JEE Main and JEE Advanced, the eligibility criteria primarily focus on the candidate's class 12 (or equivalent) examination.

Applying under the General Category:

Since your son has met the eligibility criteria for the general category, applying under this category will be the most appropriate option for him.

No Advantage for OCI:

While OCI might offer some benefits for certain admissions in India, it doesn't typically provide any advantages for JEE Main and JEE Advanced.