CSAB Special Counselling 2026 Registration Now Open
Along with the special counselling, the registration process for Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) UG 2026 has also commenced. Eligible candidates can complete the online registration, pay the counselling fee, and submit their preferred institute and course choices through the official CSAB portal until August 3, 2026.
CSAB Special Round Counselling serves as the final admission window for candidates who either did not receive a seat during the JoSAA counselling process or wish to secure admission to institutes where seats remain vacant.
Every year, the special rounds help fill thousands of unoccupied engineering seats across centrally funded institutions. This year, the counselling has become even more significant due to the exceptionally high number of vacant seats available after the completion of JoSAA rounds.
Students interested in participating must complete every step of the counselling process before the deadline.
Registration alone is not sufficient; candidates are also required to pay the prescribed counselling fee and carefully fill and lock their choices before the choice-filling window closes on August 3.
Failure to complete any of these mandatory steps within the stipulated time will make candidates ineligible for seat allotment.
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To assist students in making informed decisions, CSAB will publish a mock seat allotment on July 31, 2026. The mock allotment provides an estimate of the seats candidates may receive based on their submitted preferences.
After reviewing the mock result, students can modify or reorder their choices before the final choice-filling deadline. This feature allows candidates to optimise their preferences and improve their chances of securing a desirable institute or branch.
According to the official counselling calendar, the Special Round 1 seat allotment will be announced on August 6.
Candidates allotted seats in the first round will have time from August 6 to August 10 to upload the required documents and either accept or surrender their allotted seats. Any queries raised during document verification must be resolved by August 11.
The Special Round 2 seat allotment will be declared on August 12.
Candidates receiving seats in this round must complete seat acceptance, upload documents, pay the seat acceptance fee, respond to verification queries if required, and finish online reporting between August 12 and August 14.
The final date for responding to document verification queries in Round 2 is August 17, while physical reporting at allotted institutes will take place between August 13 and August 18.
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One of the biggest highlights of CSAB Special Counselling 2026 is the record number of vacant seats available across participating institutes. After the conclusion of JoSAA counselling, a total of 15,423 seats remain vacant in NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
This marks the highest number of vacant seats available through CSAB Special Counselling in recent years, creating a major opportunity for engineering aspirants seeking admission into prestigious technical institutions.
Among the participating institutions, Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) account for the largest share of vacant seats.
Official vacancy data shows that more than 6,400 seats remain vacant in GFTIs, while over 5,200 seats are available in NITs and nearly 3,800 seats remain unfilled in IIITs. These numbers indicate that candidates have a wide range of admission opportunities across various institutes and engineering disciplines.
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Several participating institutes have reported a significant number of vacant seats this year. BIT Mesra tops the list with 678 vacant seats, followed by the School of Studies in Engineering & Technology, GGV Bilaspur with 493 seats.
Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar has 489 vacant seats, while Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET) has 477 seats available. IIIT Senapati, Manipur, has also reported 352 vacant seats, offering candidates additional admission options during the special counselling rounds.
The number of vacant seats after JoSAA counselling has consistently increased over the past few years, but 2026 has set a new record. Last year, 13,727 seats remained vacant after JoSAA, compared to 12,759 seats in 2024 and 11,149 seats in 2023.
Crossing the 15,000-seat mark for the first time highlights the growing importance of CSAB Special Counselling for students who still wish to secure admission into centrally funded engineering institutes.
A total of 114 engineering institutes are participating in CSAB Special Counselling 2026. The counselling covers a wide range of undergraduate engineering programmes offered by NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs across the country.
With thousands of vacant seats spread across multiple branches and categories, candidates have an excellent opportunity to explore institutes beyond their initial JoSAA preferences.
While filling choices, candidates should carefully examine the institute-wise, branch-wise, and category-wise vacancy details released by CSAB. Selecting institutes where no seats are available for a candidate’s respective category may reduce the chances of allotment.
Therefore, aspirants are advised to make informed decisions based on the official vacancy matrix and include as many realistic choices as possible to maximise their admission opportunities.
Experts recommend that students should not restrict themselves to only a few preferred institutes. Instead, candidates should fill a large number of eligible choices across different branches and institutes.
A broader choice list significantly increases the probability of receiving a seat during the special rounds, especially when thousands of vacancies are available across participating institutions.
With 15,423 vacant seats, 114 participating institutes, and the choice-filling window open until August 3, 2026, CSAB Special Counselling 2026 presents one of the best opportunities for JEE Main-qualified students who are still looking for admission into top engineering colleges.
Candidates should complete registration well before the deadline, carefully analyse the vacancy data, use the mock allotment to fine-tune their preferences, and submit a comprehensive choice list to maximise their chances of securing admission in NITs, IIITs, or GFTIs.
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