Everything you need for CSAB 2026 — the three counselling channels, the full schedule, who is eligible, fees, and the step-by-step process to grab a seat after JoSAA.
CSAB is the Central Seat Allocation Board. It conducts national-level counselling based on JEE Main scores for admission to vacant seats left after the final JoSAA round — called CSAB Special Counselling. Apart from Special Counselling, there are two more channels under CSAB. All three are explained below.
Held to allocate the unfilled seats of the NIT+ System after the last JoSAA round. Candidates who wish to participate must do a fresh registration.
For allocation of seats to candidates of North-Eastern states and Union Territories only, under the Govt. of India scheme for AICTE-approved institutions (Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Pharmacy).
For admission to supernumerary seats in NIT Calicut, NIT Durgapur and SVNIT Surat. Candidates from Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are eligible.
CSAB 2026 begins after JoSAA 2026 Round 5. The Special, NEUT and Supernumerary channels run within the 28 July – 18 August 2026 window. Some sub-dates are tentative — always confirm on csab.nic.in.
Dates reflect the CSAB 2026 schedule reported as of mid-July 2026. NEUT-specific sub-dates should be confirmed on csab.nic.in as the round progresses.
| Name of the admission process | Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) Counselling |
|---|---|
| Popularly known as | CSAB Counselling |
| Conducting body | Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) |
| Level of counselling | Undergraduate Level |
| Year of counselling | 2026 |
| Counselling mode | Online |
| Admission channel | JEE Main 2026 |
| Counselling channels | Special Round · NEUT Round · Supernumerary Round |
| Supernumerary colleges | NIT Calicut, NIT Durgapur, SVNIT Surat |
| Registration opens | 28 July 2026 |
| Official website | csab.nic.in |
Yes. CSAB counselling (part of the JoSAA process) includes reservation similar to other centralised counselling in India. All India Quota (AIQ):
State-specific quota, EWS reservation and PwD reservation are also provided.
There is no fixed "lowest rank" — it depends on the closing ranks of the branch, institute and category you are targeting, and on how many seats remain vacant after JoSAA. Check the previous year opening/closing ranks for realistic targets, then fill wide choices in CSAB.
CSAB 2026 Special Round registration opens on 28 July 2026 at csab.nic.in, after JoSAA 2026 Round 5. NEUT and Supernumerary rounds run alongside within the 28 July – 18 August 2026 window.
A valid JEE Main 2026 rank is required. Each round has its own eligibility — Special (candidates who did not get/accept a JoSAA seat), NEUT (North-Eastern states & select UTs) and Supernumerary (specific UT candidates). Detailed eligibility for all three is given below.
There is no fee to register for any CSAB round. Fees are paid after seat allotment — SREF for the Special Round, SAF of Rs 5,000 for NEUT, and SSAF for the Supernumerary round.
Appear for JoSAA 2026 first (IITs, NITs, IIITs, GFTIs). If you don't get or accept a seat, use CSAB Special Round to fill vacant NIT+ seats. Keep state counselling as a parallel backup.
Register on csab.nic.in → pay SREF (Special Round) → fill & lock fresh choices → check seat allotment → pay the seat acceptance fee → upload documents / online reporting → physically report at the allotted institute within the deadline.
Eligibility for the Special, NEUT and Supernumerary rounds varies. A detailed explanation of each is given below.
CSAB registrations take place separately for all three channels — Special, NEUT and Supernumerary. Candidates follow the registration link on csab.nic.in for the round they are eligible for. Registration is online and starts by logging in with the JEE Main 2026 application number and password. The next steps vary by the type of counselling.
Registration Fee: There is no fee to register for any CSAB 2026 round. Fees must be paid after registration and seat allotment, as required and as per the CSAB schedule.
The CSAB fees payable at various stages of each counselling are given below.
After registration, all candidates pay the Special Round Enrollment Fee (SREF) using Net Banking / Debit / Credit card or SBI e-challan. The SREF for each candidate type is given below.
| Candidate Type | Fee to be adjusted | SREF | Fee to be adjusted | SREF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | NIL | INR 45,000 | NIL | INR 25,000 |
| Type 2 | NIL | INR 45,000 | NIL | INR 25,000 |
| Type 3 | NIL | INR 45,000 | NIL | INR 25,000 |
| Type 4 | NIL | INR 45,000 | NIL | INR 25,000 |
| Type 5 | NIL | INR 45,000 | NIL | INR 25,000 |
| Type 6 | INR 75,000 | INR 5,000 | INR 32,000 | INR 5,000 |
| Type 7 | INR 28,000 | INR 17,000 | INR 10,500 | INR 14,000 |
| Type 8 | INR 30,000 | INR 15,000 | INR 12,500 | INR 12,500 |
| Type 9 | INR 28,000 | INR 17,000 | INR 10,500 | INR 14,000 |
Candidates pay the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) of INR 5,000 to confirm their allotted seats. This fee is paid as per the deadline after each seat allotment round.
Candidates pay the Supernumerary Seat Acceptance Fee (SSAF), which includes a non-refundable CSAB processing charge of INR 5,000, as per the deadline after each allotment round.
The Special counselling process involves the following stages.
All eligible candidates register for CSAB. Earlier JoSAA registrations are not valid for the Special round.
Pay the Special Round Enrollment Fee via Net Banking / Debit / Credit card or SBI e-challan.
Fill fresh choices — previously filled JoSAA 2026 choices stand null and void. Lock your choices before the deadline, else the last saved choices lock automatically.
Seat allotment → choose Freeze/Slide/Float/Surrender/Withdraw → document upload → Institute Admission Fee (IAF)-II → online reporting & verification.
Seat allotment → document upload → IAF-II → online reporting & verification → physical reporting at the allotted institute.
Eligible candidates register on the CSAB portal (csab.nic.in) as per schedule. For Engineering/Architecture, login using the JEE Main 2026 roll number and the password created during JEE Main registration; for Pharmacy, create login/password via the separate link on the CSAB portal.
Verifying officials at the DTEs of North Eastern States/UTs/NERIST confirm candidature online and notify via SMS/Email, mark "Ineligible" and inform if documents are incorrect, raise queries for discrepancies, and cancel/disqualify if any information is found incorrect or fraudulent.
After verification, candidates fill choices of branches and institutes in order of preference and save then lock (saving is different from locking). NEUT seat allotment is done in two rounds based on JEE Main 2026 CRL for Engineering/Architecture (or Class XII marks for Pharmacy) and the locked choices.
Pay seat acceptance fee (INR 5,000). Choose Float (higher choices across institutes), Slide (higher choices within same institute) or Freeze (accept current seat). Freeze → download & print PAL, report to institute.
For those not offered a seat in R1 or who chose Float/Slide. Allotment against vacant seats; download & print PAL and report to the institute with original documents.
Candidates allotted a seat in R1 or R2 can withdraw within the timeframe via the CSAB Portal. A refund of INR 3,000 (out of INR 5,000 SAF) is given after the counselling concludes. They forfeit the allotted seat but may participate in any spot round conducted by the DTE/NERIST.
Candidates who downloaded the PAL report directly to the allotted institute with all original documents, as per the CSAB NEUT 2026 schedule. Carry the PAL printout, undertaking (if applicable), photo ID, JEE Main 2026 admit card and scorecard, Class X certificate, proof of fee paid, category/PRC certificate, PwD/UDID (if applicable), NIOS proof (if applicable), a passport photo identical to the JEE Main form, domicile, medical certificate and any other documents required by the institute.
Allotment in the spot round is done by respective institutes as per their approved rules. The spot round is an offline process with no online registration — the DTE/RC notifies the schedule along with the documents (original and self-attested photocopy).
The following types of candidates are eligible for CSAB supernumerary counselling:
The Supernumerary round is dedicated to admission to supernumerary seats at NIT Calicut, NIT Durgapur and SVNIT Surat. Candidates from the Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are eligible for the CSAB 2026 Supernumerary round.
Category can only be considered as per the category filled in JEE Main 2026 and validated by a valid certificate from the competent authority. Category upgrade requests, if permitted, are handled via the "category restoration" window on csab.nic.in within the specified dates.
CSAB 2026 Special Round registration opens 28 July 2026; NEUT and Supernumerary rounds run alongside within the 28 July – 18 August 2026 window.
Yes — 15% AIQ (SC), 7.5% (ST), 27% (OBC-NCL), plus EWS, PwD and state-specific quota, following JoSAA norms.
Our team helps JEE Main 2026 aspirants choose the right round, fill smart choices, and grab the best available seat.
