CSAB 2026 Registration Starts Tomorrow for JoSAA Vacant Seats; Check Eligibility to Participate
Published 27 Jul 20263 min read
The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) will open registration for its special counselling round on July 28 at the official website, csab.nic.in. This special round is conducted to fill the leftover seats at NITs, IIITs, and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs) after the completion of JoSAA counselling. The registration link will remain active until August 3, giving eligible candidates a window of about a week to apply.
Who Can Register
All candidates who were eligible for JoSAA counselling 2026 are also eligible to participate in CSAB counselling 2026. It's important to note that CSAB conducts admissions only for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs — IITs do not take part in this special round at all.
How to Complete CSAB Counselling Registration 2026
Candidates can follow these steps to register for the CSAB special round:
- Log in using JEE Main application details
- Complete OTP verification
- Review and submit the required details
- Pay the applicable fee, if any, and complete document verification
Eligibility Categories for CSAB 2026
CSAB counselling is open to a wide range of candidates depending on their status in JoSAA counselling. The table below breaks down who qualifies:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Did not register for JoSAA | Candidates who could not register for JoSAA can register for CSAB for seat allotment to NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs |
| Registered for JoSAA but did not get a seat | Candidates who participated in JoSAA 2026 but were not allotted any seat |
| JoSAA allotment cancelled due to non-payment of SAF | Candidates who were allotted a seat but had it cancelled for not paying the Seat Acceptance Fee |
| Exited from JoSAA counselling | Candidates who were not allotted a seat and validly exited from JoSAA counselling |
| Got a seat in an IIT via JoSAA | Candidates whose IIT seat was cancelled after document verification, who validly withdrew, or who have taken admission to an IIT |
| Got a seat in the NIT+ system via JoSAA | Candidates who have taken admission in the NIT+ system after paying the SAF and Partial Admission Fee (PAF), or who validly withdrew from their allotted seat, or whose seat was cancelled after document verification with no allotment in later rounds, or whose seat was cancelled due to non-payment of the PAF despite completing SAF payment and document verification |
Why This Round Matters
The CSAB special round gives candidates a second opportunity to secure or upgrade a seat at NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs after the regular JoSAA process concludes. This includes candidates who missed out on a seat entirely, those looking to improve upon an allotment they already have, and those who had to exit JoSAA for reasons such as fee non-payment or document issues. Given the relatively short registration window, from July 28 to August 3, candidates who fall into any of the eligible categories are advised to complete their registration on csab.nic.in well within the deadline and keep their JEE Main login credentials and required documents ready in advance.