After JoSAA counseling, 15,423 BTech seats remain vacant at NITs, IIITs, IIESTs, and GFTIs. CSAB special counseling has already begun, and eligible candidates can apply until August 3, 2026.
New Delhi: Candidates who missed the JoSAA counseling for BTech admissions 2026 now have another opportunity. The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) has begun special counseling for admission to the remaining 15,423 seats at 119 institutions, including NITs, IIITs, IIEST Shibpur, and GFTI. Eligible candidates can apply until August 3, 2026.
CSAB special round begins after JoSAA
There’s some relief for students preparing for engineering admissions. Following the completion of the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counseling process, thousands of seats remained vacant at several prominent government engineering institutes across the country. To fill these seats, the Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) has launched Special Counseling 2026. This is a golden opportunity for candidates who didn’t secure a seat through JoSAA or are looking for a better option. Through this counseling, candidates can gain admission to prestigious institutes based on their JEE Main 2026 All India Rank.
Which institutions have vacant seats?
The CSAB Special Round will offer admission to a total of 15,423 seats across 119 centrally funded engineering institutes in the country. These include 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), 27 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) Shibpur, and 60 Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Of these, the highest number of seats, 6,945, are available at GFTIs. Additionally, 4,611 seats are vacant at NITs, 3,628 at IIITs, and 239 at IIEST Shibpur. Admission to these seats will be based solely on the JEE Main 2026 rank and the choices filled by the candidates.
There are thousands of opportunities in computer science too.
The Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) branch also offers a large number of seats. A total of 3,098 seats are vacant in this popular branch. These include 503 in NITs, 1,173 in IIITs, 17 in IIEST Shibpur, and 1,405 in GFTIs. Furthermore, of the total available seats, 13,156 are gender-neutral seats, while 2,267 seats are reserved exclusively for female candidates. This provides better admission opportunities for female candidates as well.
Who can apply?
Only candidates who have a valid All India Rank (AIR) in JEE Main 2026 and meet the eligibility criteria of the respective institutes can participate in CSAB Special Counseling 2026. Seats will be allocated based on the candidate’s rank, choice filling, and available seats. Students who did not get a seat in JoSAA counseling or who wish to enter a better institute or branch can participate in this process.
Important Dates
Registration for CSAB Special Counseling 2026 has begun on admissions.nic.in on July 28, 2026, and candidates can apply online until August 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM. The first mock seat allotment will be released on July 31, 2026. Candidates will then have the option to fill choices and auto-lock until August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM. The first round of seat allotment results will be announced on August 6, 2026, followed by online reporting and document verification from August 6 to 10, 2026. The second round of seat allotment will be released on August 12, 2026. Online reporting will then take place from August 12 to 14, 2026, while physical reporting to the allotted institutions will be completed between August 13 and 18, 2026.
Don’t miss your second chance to get admission
The CSAB Special Round is an important opportunity for students who did not secure a seat during JoSAA counseling or are hoping to secure admission to a better institute and branch of their choice. Instead of waiting for the deadline, candidates are advised to complete the application process well in advance, have all the required documents ready, and fill in their choices accordingly to increase their chances of securing a better institute and branch within the available seats.