Congratulations on completing your Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET 2025) for engineering! Now comes the crucial phase — awaiting your results and preparing for the Centralized Admission Process (CAP). Understanding the reservation categories available can help you navigate the admission process more effectively and increase your chances of getting into a good engineering college.
This guide is designed specifically for engineering aspirants like you, who are gearing up for CAP admissions. Read on to learn about the reservation categories, eligibility criteria, and how these can benefit you in securing a seat in Maharashtra’s engineering colleges.
What Are Reservation Categories in CAP Admissions?
The Maharashtra government provides reservation quotas in educational institutions to promote inclusivity and equal opportunities for students from historically marginalized or disadvantaged groups. These reservations are designed to uplift sections of society that may face socio-economic or other barriers to education.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown to help you understand the categories, eligibility, and the percentage of seats reserved in Maharashtra’s CAP admissions.
1) Detailed information of Reservation Categories for Maharashtra CAP Admissions:
| Serial No. | Category | Description / Notes |
| 1 | OBC/DEF1 | Other Backward Classes and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 2 | SEBC/DEF1 | Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 3 | NT 1 (NT-B) | Nomadic Tribe 1 Nomadic Tribe-B |
| 4 | NT 2 (NT-C) | Nomadic Tribe 2 Nomadic Tribe-C |
| 5 | NT 3 (NT-D) | Nomadic Tribe 3 Nomadic Tribe-D |
| 6 | OBC | Other Backward Classes |
| 7 | SBC | Special Backward Classes |
| 8 | DT/VJ | De-Notified Tribes and Vimukta Jati |
| 9 | OPEN | Open Category General Category |
| 10 | SC | Scheduled Castes |
| 11 | SEBC | Socially and Educationally Backward Classes |
| 12 | ST | Scheduled Tribes |
| 13 | OBC/PH1 | Other Backward Classes and Person with Disability |
| 14 | SC/PH1 | Scheduled Castes and Person with Disability |
| 15 | NT 2 (NT-C)/DEF2 | Nomadic Tribe 2 and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 16 | OPEN/DEF1 | Open Category and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 17 | OBC/DEF2 | Other Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 18 | OPEN/DEF3 | Open Category and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 19 | SC/DEF1 | Scheduled Castes and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 20 | OPEN/DEF2 | Open Category and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 21 | NT 3 (NT-D)/DEF1 | Nomadic Tribe 3 and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 22 | NT 3 (NT-D)/PH1 | Nomadic Tribe 3 and Person with Disability |
| 23 | DT/VJ/DEF1 | De-Notified Tribes and Vimukta Jati and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 24 | OPEN/PH1 | Open Category and Person with Disability |
| 25 | ST/PH1 | Scheduled Tribes and Person with Disability |
| 26 | NT 1 (NT-B)/PH1 | Nomadic Tribe 1 and Person with Disability |
| 27 | DT/VJ/PH1 | De-Notified Tribes and Vimukta Jati and Person with Disability |
| 28 | SC/DEF2 | Scheduled Castes and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 29 | DT/VJ/DEF2 | De-Notified Tribes and Vimukta Jati and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 30 | SEBC/PH1 | Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Person with Disability |
| 31 | SBC/PH1 | Special Backward Classes and Person with Disability |
| 32 | NT 3 (NT-D)/DEF3 | Nomadic Tribe 3 and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 33 | NT 2 (NT-C)/PH1 | Nomadic Tribe 2 and Person with Disability |
| 34 | NT 1 (NT-B)/DEF1 | Nomadic Tribe 1 and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 35 | NT 2 (NT-C)/DEF1 | Nomadic Tribe 2 and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 36 | SBC/DEF2 | Special Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 37 | OBC/DEF3 | Other Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 38 | SC/DEF3 | Scheduled Castes and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 39 | SEBC/DEF2 | Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 40 | OPEN/PH1/DEF1 | Open Category and Person with Disability and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 41 | ST/DEF2 | Scheduled Tribes and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 42 | ST/DEF1 | Scheduled Tribes and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 43 | SBC/DEF3 | Special Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 44 | SBC/DEF1 | Special Backward Classes and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 45 | NT 3 (NT-D)/DEF2 | Nomadic Tribe 3 and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 46 | NT 1 (NT-B)/DEF | Nomadic Tribe 1 and Children of Service personnel |
| 47 | OBC/PH1/DEF1 | Other Backward Classes and Person with Disability and Children of ex-service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 48 | NT 1 (NT-B)/DEF2 | Nomadic Tribe 1 and Children of active service personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 49 | SEBC/DEF3 | Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State |
| 50 | NT 2 (NT-C)/DEF | Nomadic Tribe 2 and Children of Service personnel |
DEF-1: Children of ex-service personnel who are Domiciled in Maharashtra State
DEF-2: Children of active service personnel who are Domiciled in Maharashtra State
DEF-3: Children of active service personnel who are transferred to Maharashtra State but are not domiciled in Maharashtra State, or who are not domiciled in Maharashtra State
*SEBC reservations are subject to court rulings.
**EWS reservation is over and above the sanctioned intake capacity.
2) Reservation Categories and Percentages
| Sr. No. | Category | Reservation % |
| 1 | Scheduled Castes (SC) + SC Converts to Buddhism | 13.00% |
| 2 | Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.00% |
| 3 | Vimukta Jati (VJ) / De-Notified Tribes (DT) (NT-A) | 3.00% |
| 4 | Nomadic Tribes 1 (NT-B) | 2.50% |
| 5 | Nomadic Tribes 2 (NT-C) | 3.50% |
| 6 | Nomadic Tribes 3 (NT-D) | 2.00% |
| 7 | Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 19.00% |
| 8 | Socially & Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC)* | 10.00% |
| 9 | Defence Personnel Children (DEF-1/2/3) | 5.00% |
| 10 | Persons with Disability | 5.00% |
| 11 | Economically Weaker Section (EWS)** | 10.00% |
| 12 | Orphan Candidates | 1.00% |
| 13 | Female Candidates | 30.00% |
Wishes you all the very best for your admissions journey.
We hope each one of you secures a seat in your dream college and achieves great success ahead!
