The Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, has discontinued its 50 per cent home-state quota for students from Jharkhand from the academic session 2026–27. With this decision, admissions to all undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes will now be conducted solely on the basis of All India Merit through the centralised counselling process. The registration process for counselling commenced on June 2 and will continue until August 12. The development stems from the non-renewal of an agreement signed between BIT Mesra and the Government of Jharkhand in the early 2000s. The agreement, which had been periodically renewed, expired in 2023 and has not been extended since.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2001 between the management of BIT Mesra and the Government of Jharkhand through the Directorate of Higher Education, the institute had agreed to increase intake by 180 seats at the undergraduate level and 50 seats at the postgraduate level. In return, 50 per cent of these seats were reserved exclusively for students from Jharkhand. As part of the agreement, the state government had committed financial assistance amounting to 24.05 crore. The government had also agreed to bear 50 per cent of the Dearness Allowance (DA) paid to employees of BIT Mesra, ensuring that the institute’s staff receive DA and additional DA at rates equivalent to those paid to Jharkhand government employees. Although the agreement expired in 2023, students from Jharkhand reportedly continued to receive the benefit of the quota for some time. However, the institute has now withdrawn the provision for the current academic session.