CSAB Counselling 2026

CSAB (Central Seat Allocation Board) counselling is conducted after JoSAA counselling to fill remaining vacant seats in NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. While JoSAA covers all IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs based on JEE Advanced rank for IITs and JEE Main rank for NITs/IIITs/GFTIs, CSAB specifically deals with NIT+ system (NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs) for seats that remain unfilled after JoSAA rounds. CSAB uses JEE Main rank for seat allocation.

Eligibility for CSAB counselling includes: (1) Candidates who qualified JEE Main 2026, (2) Those who obtained a rank within the cut-off criteria, (3) Indian nationals or OCI/PIO cardholders, (4) Candidates who did not get any seat through JoSAA OR who want to upgrade from their JoSAA allotted seat, (5) Candidates must meet age criteria (born on or after October 1, 2001 for General/EWS, October 1, 1996 for SC/ST/PwD).

CSAB counselling typically starts in July-August after JoSAA counselling concludes. The schedule includes: Registration and choice filling (7-10 days), Seat allotment Round 1 (3-5 days after registration), Round 2 allotment (5-7 days after Round 1), and Special round for NIT+ system. Candidates must pay the seat acceptance fee of Rs 35,000 (GEN/GEN-EWS/OBC-NCL) or Rs 15,000 (SC/ST/PwD) to confirm seats.

CSAB fills seats that remain vacant after JoSAA counselling in: 31 NITs, 25 IIITs (TripleITs), and 28 GFTIs (Government-Funded Technical Institutes). This includes seats under various quotas like All India, Home State/UT, and specific categories. CSAB also conducts special counselling for seats reserved for Kashmiri Migrants and J&K candidates in NITs.

CSAB typically conducts 2 regular rounds followed by a special round. Round 1 fills most vacant seats, Round 2 offers upgrades based on availability, and the Special Round fills any remaining vacancies including state quota seats. Each round has specific reporting and document verification requirements at designated reporting centers.

Required documents include: JEE Main 2026 scorecard, Class 10th certificate (birth date proof), Class 12th mark sheet/pass certificate, Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS), PwD certificate (if applicable), Seat allotment letter, Photo identity proof (Aadhar/PAN/Passport), Passport size photographs, Seat acceptance fee receipt, and OCI/PIO certificate for foreign nationals.

The seat acceptance fee is Rs 35,000 for General, EWS, and OBC-NCL candidates, and Rs 15,000 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. This fee is adjusted against the admission fee of the allotted institute. If a candidate withdraws or doesn't take admission, the fee is refunded as per CSAB guidelines after deduction of processing charges.

Yes, you can participate in CSAB counselling even if you were allotted a seat through JoSAA, provided you surrender that seat as per the surrender process. However, if you have reported to a JoSAA-allotted institute and completed admission, you generally cannot participate in further CSAB rounds. Check the official CSAB website for specific rules as they may vary each year.

The special round is conducted after regular CSAB rounds to fill remaining vacant seats including state quota seats that couldn't be filled earlier. It's an opportunity for candidates who missed earlier rounds or want to upgrade. The special round may have relaxed eligibility criteria and is particularly important for filling seats in newer NITs and less popular branches.

CSAB seat allotment results are published on the official CSAB website (csab.nic.in). Candidates can log in using their JEE Main application number and password to check their allotment status. The result displays the allotted institute, branch, category under which allotted, and reporting instructions. Candidates must then report to designated reporting centers within the specified timeline.