JoSAA 2026 vs CSAB 2026 – Full Comparison

JoSAA 2026 (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) is the primary and first-priority counselling for all centrally funded technical institutions — IITs (23), NITs (31), IIITs (25), and GFTIs (29+). It starts June 2, 2026 and conducts 5 rounds of seat allotment. All candidates with JEE Advanced or JEE Main ranks must register for JoSAA to access these institutions.

CSAB 2026 (Central Seat Allocation Board) is a supplementary counselling conducted by NIT Trichy (nodal institute) after JoSAA ends. It fills vacant NIT, IIIT, and GFTI seats through 2 special rounds. CSAB does NOT cover IIT seats — only NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Registration ran July 28 – August 3, 2026, with SR1 declared August 6 and SR2 also declared, completing both CSAB special rounds.

When to use JoSAA: Always register for JoSAA first if you want any centrally-funded technical institution. JoSAA is mandatory if you want an IIT. Fill maximum choices (up to 75) across all 5 rounds for best results.

When CSAB is relevant: CSAB is useful if (a) you did not get your preferred NIT/IIIT in JoSAA rounds, (b) you did not register for JoSAA, (c) you withdrew from JoSAA allotment, or (d) you want to try for a different NIT/IIIT branch after JoSAA concludes. Many NE-NIT non-CSE seats remain unfilled after JoSAA and open up in CSAB at higher opening ranks.