Seat Allotment 2026

Seat allotment is the process through which eligible candidates are allocated seats in IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs based on their JEE Main/JEE Advanced rank, category, choices filled, and availability of seats. JoSAA conducts allotment for all institutes, while CSAB fills remaining NIT+ system seats. The allotment is done in multiple rounds, and candidates can accept, float, or surrender their allotted seats.

JoSAA seat allotment is based on: (1) Your JEE Advanced rank for IITs and JEE Main rank for NITs/IIITs/GFTIs, (2) Category (GEN/OBC/SC/ST/EWS/PwD), (3) Choices filled during choice filling, (4) Home state for NITs, (5) Seat availability, (6) All India Rank or State quota rank. The computerized system matches your rank with available seats based on your preferences in the order you filled them.

After seat allotment, candidates have three options: (1) FREEZE - Accept the seat and not participate in further rounds, (2) FLOAT - Accept the seat but participate in next rounds for better preference, (3) SURRENDER - Surrender the seat and not participate further. Additionally, candidates can withdraw their admission with refund of seat acceptance fee (with deduction).

FREEZE means you accept the allotted seat and will not participate in further counselling rounds. FLOAT means you accept the seat but will participate in further rounds - if you get a better option in subsequent rounds, you'll be upgraded automatically. SLIDE is an older concept where you accept the seat but look for better branch in the same institute. Currently, only Freeze and Float options are available in JoSAA.

Required documents include: JEE Main/Advanced rank card, Class 10th certificate (birth proof), Class 12th mark sheet/pass certificate, Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS), PwD certificate (if applicable), Photo ID proof (Aadhar/PAN), Passport size photographs, Seat allotment letter, Provisional seat acceptance fee receipt, and OCI/PIO certificate for foreign nationals. Original documents must be produced for verification.

Seat acceptance fee is Rs 35,000 for General/EWS/OBC-NCL and Rs 15,000 for SC/ST/PwD candidates. This fee is paid online through SBI MOPS (State Bank of India Multi-Option Payment System) using net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI. The fee is adjusted against the admission fee of the allotted institute. If you withdraw, the fee is refunded after deduction of processing charges.

JoSAA typically conducts 6 rounds of seat allotment. After each round, candidates can check their allotment status and make decisions. CSAB conducts 2 regular rounds followed by a special round for NIT+ system. Each round has opening and closing ranks, and candidates who didn't get seats in earlier rounds may get seats in later rounds as vacancies arise due to surrenders and withdrawals.

Yes, if you choose the FLOAT option, you participate in subsequent rounds and may get a better seat based on your higher preferences. If you get a better allotment in a later round, your previous seat is automatically allotted to another candidate. However, if you choose FREEZE, you cannot participate in further rounds. The sliding concept is no longer available in the current system.

Dual reporting is a facility where candidates can physically report at two designated centers: one for document verification and another for provisional admission. However, this facility is limited to specific cases and may not be available in all rounds. Most candidates need to report only at designated reporting centers for document verification after seat allotment.

Seat allotment results are published on the official counselling websites (josaa.nic.in for JoSAA, csab.nic.in for CSAB). 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, reporting center details, and reporting timeline. Download the allotment letter for future reference.