To be eligible for a free seat, candidates must meet certain income requirements. Those belonging to the BC category must have an income below 2 lakh, while those from SC/ST must have an income below 2.5 lakh and OC candidates must have an income below 1 lakh. Additionally, all candidates must possess a salary certificate. For BC-A,B,D or OC candidates, in order to secure a free seat, they must satisfy both the aforementioned eligibility criteria as well as have a rank lower than 1000.