Last verified: 17 October 2026. The 67% home-state / 33% other-states split, the category percentages (SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%), the defence quota and the girls’ quota were cross-checked today against Careers360’s AISSEE 2027 school profiles and the latest official AISSEE information bulletin as quoted by admission trackers. Worked examples below are clearly-labelled illustrations of the official formula, not published seat figures. Facts marked CONFIRMED have two independent sources.
Every year, the single most misunderstood sentence in the AISSEE process is this one: “67% of seats are reserved for the home state.” Parents read it, nod, and then make school choices that suggest they never really absorbed it. A child in West Bengal filling choices without understanding which pool she competes in is planning with half a map.
This is the guide we wish every parent read before e-counselling. We use school examples from our recent profiles — Satara in Maharashtra and Amaravathinagar in Tamil Nadu — so the rule stops being abstract.
In the Sainik Schools Society schools (the original network — Satara, Purulia, Amaravathinagar, Korukonda and the rest), seats are divided by the candidate’s state of domicile relative to the school (CONFIRMED — AISSEE information bulletin, Careers360):
“Home state” means the school’s state, not where the exam centre is, and domicile is proved by the domicile certificate of that state/UT — the same document the AISSEE form lists among required uploads (CONFIRMED — Careers360).
The cleanest real-world illustration came up this year with Sainik School Korukonda: the school has moved to Andhra Pradesh, and students from Telangana are no longer eligible for its 67% home-state quota — they now apply under the 33% other-states pool (CONFIRMED — Careers360, opened today). One administrative line, and an entire state’s candidates shifted pools overnight.
Imagine a school with 120 Class VI vacancies this year. This is an illustration of the official formula, not a published seat matrix — the real matrix comes out with the counselling schedule each year.
| Pool | Calculation | Seats (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| Home State | 67% of 120 | 80 |
| Other States | 33% of 120 | 40 |
Now each pool is further divided by category (CONFIRMED — bulletin):
Run it for the home pool: 80 − 12 − 6 − 22 = 40 remaining; 25% of 40 = 10 seats for defence wards. The same arithmetic repeats inside the 40-seat other-states pool. Notice what this means: a General-category, non-defence child from the home state is competing for a modest slice of those 80 seats — while the same child from another state is competing for an even thinner slice of 40.
Take a boy domiciled in West Bengal:
Now a girl domiciled in Maharashtra:
The practical lesson: when your family fills e-counselling choices, rank your home-state school first unless you have a specific reason not to. The 67% pool is where your child is statistically strongest. The 33% pool is real and winnable — thousands of children do get in every year — but it is where the all-India competition concentrates.
“Admission is to Sainik Schools in general.” No. You qualify through AISSEE, then fill school choices in e-counselling, and the home-state rule applies school by school (CONFIRMED — Careers360: choice-filling by priority, seats filled by merit and choices).
“Defence wards jump the whole queue.” The defence reservation is 25% of the seats remaining after SC, ST and OBC-NCL reservations — it sits inside the pools, not above them (CONFIRMED — bulletin).
“The same rule applies to New Sainik Schools.” The 67/33 scheme is the Society’s own scheme for its schools. New Sainik Schools — the approved partnership schools — follow their own approved admission norms (EXPECTATION based on scheme structure — always verify against the specific school’s own admission notice before assuming the split applies).
“Domicile can be sorted out later.” The domicile certificate is an upload on the application form itself. If your family has moved states recently, arrange the certificate in the state you are claiming now — before the form window, not during counselling. If money questions are already on your mind, our fee-concession and income-slab guide pairs well with this one.
What is the home state quota in Sainik Schools?
67% of seats in the Sainik Schools Society schools are reserved for candidates domiciled in the state or UT where the school stands; 33% go to candidates from other states and UTs.
Does the 67% home-state rule apply to girls as well?
Yes. Girls compete within the same two pools according to their domicile, with the girls’ quota (10% of vacancies or 10 seats, whichever is more) operating inside the overall matrix.
Can I apply to a Sainik School in another state?
Yes — the 33% other-states quota exists precisely for this. But competition there is all-India and stiffer, so prioritise your home-state school in choice-filling unless you have a strong reason otherwise.
Does the home-state quota apply to New Sainik Schools?
The 67/33 rule is the Society’s scheme for its own schools. New Sainik Schools follow their own approved admission norms — verify on that school’s own notice.
How do I prove my home-state domicile for AISSEE?
With a domicile or residence certificate of the state or UT, issued by the competent authority. It is among the documents the AISSEE form asks you to upload, so arrange it before the window opens.
Do defence wards get a separate quota on top?
Yes — 25% of the seats remaining after the SC, ST and OBC-NCL reservations are reserved for wards of serving and retired defence personnel, computed separately inside each pool.
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