HYDERABAD: In the very first year that the IITs introduced a minority quota in admissions, city boy MDH Rahman from Vidya Nagar secured the top all-India rank in this category. The IITs have, from this year, implemented a 4.5% quota for Muslim minority candidates within the OBC category and as many as 14 students from the state have made it to the top-50 on the minority quota list.Although each of them secured a rank in the general category, these students are expected to get the choicest of seats in leading IITs like Bombay, Delhi or Madras thanks to the new provision. The IITs announced reservations under the minority quota this year following efforts in this direction for the past two years by the ministry of human resource development (MHRD). Of the 9,500 seats in the 17 IITs (as per last year's figure), 440 seats will be reserved for minority candidates from this year.Speaking to TOI, Rahman, a student of Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Madhapur said that he would opt for admission into the computer science department at IIT-Bombay, one of the most sought after among the IITs."With my general category rank (159) I would not have made the cut off for computer science engineering (CSE) at IIT-B. But with the quota rank, it would be possible for me to get the seat of my choice," said Rahman.The son of a retired bank employee, Rahman said that he will be the first IITian in his family when he passes out four years from now. His elder brother, MDK Asif is currently studying at BITS-Pilani. The IITs announced the quota on their website and had asked candidates to submit their minority status certificate before April 8, the date of the examination.Another student with a good rank in the minority quota list, Sheik Abdul Akram, too, would like to join IIT-B. "I secured a rank of 1,994 in the general category and 13 in the minority quota list. I would definitely have got a seat in one of the IITs, but the quota has made the admission easier," said Akram, also a city-based student.Mohd Abdul Muqeeth, who secured the 34th rank in JEE (3,643 in general), said that he is glad that reservations have been introduced. Mujavar Basheer Ahmed, at 7,977 on the general category list but with the 83rd rank in the minority category, said that but for the minority quota he would have had to take the exam again.The reservation is expected to change the composition of the premier technical institutions in the country, experts said. "The percentage of minority candidates from the state making it to the top six IITs used to be negligible till last year. But with the reservations, the tally this year has altogether increased to 5% on general and reservation seats. This is a welcome change," said a coordinator of a coaching institute in the city.