JoSAA Counselling 2026: Complete Guide for IIT,NIT,IIT & GFTI Admissions

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) Counselling 2026 is the centralized admission process for candidates seeking entry into India’s top engineering institutes, including IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. Students who qualify through JEE Main 2026, JEE Advanced 2026, JEE counselling 2026, and meet the required eligibility criteria can participate in this online counselling process to secure seats in prestigious undergraduate engineering, technology, and architecture programs across the country.

As per current updates, JoSAA Counselling 2026 registration, JoSAA choice filling 2026, and JoSAA seat allotment process are expected to begin from June 2, 2026 (Tentative), shortly after the declaration of JEE Advanced 2026 results. Candidates must complete JoSAA online registration, carefully select their preferred institutes and branches, and lock their choices on the official JoSAA portal to maximize their chances of admission into leading institutions such as IIT admission 2026, NIT admission 2026, IIIT admission 2026, and GFTI counselling 2026. Staying updated with the JoSAA schedule 2026, opening and closing ranks, JoSAA mock allotment, and CSAB special rounds is essential for successful admission planning.

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What is JoSAA Counselling–Overview:

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) has been set up by Ministry of Education [formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD)] to manage and reguate the joint seat allocation for admissions into IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Candidates must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination from a recognized board.
• Students should have studied Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, one language, and one additional subject.
• General, OBC-NCL, and EWS candidates need at least 75% aggregate marks, while SC, ST, and PwD candidates require 65%.
• Candidates in the top 20 percentile of their respective boards are also eligible.
• A valid JEE Main 2026 rank is required for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, while JEE Advanced 2026 qualification is necessary for IITs.
• Applicants must also meet the age criteria specified in the official JEE guidelines

How to Apply for JoSAA Counselling:

• Registration: Visit the official portal or Manabadi.com and register using your JEE Main 2026 application number and password.
• Verify Details: Verify your personal, academic, and contact information, ensuring all information matches the JEE database.
• Choice Filling: Select your preferred IITs, NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs in order of preference. You can fill multiple choices to increase chances of seat allotment.
• Choice Locking: Lock your filled choices before the designated deadline. If not locked, they will automatically lock.
• Mock Allotment: View the mock allotment results to understand your likelihood of securing a seat, allowing you to modify choices if needed.
• Seat Allotment Results: Check the seat allocation results for each round on the portal.
• Seat Acceptance Fee & Verification: If allotted a seat, pay the seat acceptance fee (e.g., ₹40,000 for Gen/OBC-NCL, ₹19,000 for SC/ST/PwD in 2026) and upload documents.
• Willingness Selection: Select one of three choices:
  Freeze: Accept the seat and exit counselling.
  Float: Accept the seat but participate in the next round for a higher preference.
  Slide: Accept the seat but participate in the next round for a higher preference within the same institute.
• Payment of Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF): Pay the SAF by the given deadline.
• Document Verification: After paying SAF, the candidate should upload the required documents for verification by the reporting institute. If any discrepancies or queries arise, they will be notified in your login. Respond within the deadline to avoid cancellation of the seat.
• Reporting to the Allotted Institute: Candidates should report to the allotted Institute on the notified dates to complete the verification of original documents, payment of the remaining fee (tuition and hostel fees), and other formalities of the admission process.

Important Documents to be Uploaded (PDF Format less than 1MB):

• Class 10th and 12th mark sheets.
• JEE Main/Advanced scorecard.
• Provisional Seat Allotment Letter downloaded from JoSAA portal.
• Bank Passbook or Cancelled Cheque (for refund purposes, if any)
• Medical Fitness Certificate (as per JoSAA format).
• Printout of final locked choices from JoSAA portal
• Category Certificate (If applicable, e.g., GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST).
• PwD Certificate (If applicable).
• Photo ID proof (Adhaar/Pan/Passport etc).

How to Pay Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF):

• All those candidates who got the seat allotted first time in any round, Seat Acceptance fee will have to be paid online before online document verification.
• Once candidate click“Pay Seat Acceptance Fee”, then the system will automatically redirect to EPG page.
• Candidate can select any of the options like Debit Card/ Credit Card/Net banking as per his/her convenience and follow the online instructions to complete the payment process.
• After successful payment, payment gateway will redirect to the seat allotment result page.
• If the payment status is“Success”then candidate can download the provisional seat allotment letter.

Fee Structure (According to 2025, as of 2026, not yet confirmed):

• ₹15,000 for SC, ST, GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, or ST-PwD categories.
• ₹30,000 for all other candidates (General, OBC-NCL, GEN-EWS).
• Amount Breakdown: The fee includes a non-refundable ₹5,000 JoSAA processing charge.
• Payment Method: Payable online via JoSAA portal using Net Banking/UPI/Debit Card/Credit Card.
• Important Deadlines: Failure to pay the SAF and submit willingness (Freeze, Float, Slide) during any round within the specified time will lead to the specified time will lead to the cancellation of the seat.
• Refunds: If a student withdraws, the fee is refunded after processing charges are deducted.

Post-JoSAA Option- CSAB Counselling:

Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) Special Rounds (conducted late July/early August) are the primary post-JoSAA option to fill vacant NIT, IIIT, and GFTI seats. Candidates must perform fresh registration and choice filling, as JoSAA choices are nullified. Eligibility includes non-allotted students, those who withdrew, or those aiming to upgrade their NIT+ system seats. 

Key Differences Between JoSAA and CSAB at a Glance:

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