JoSAA Counselling 2026 is the centralized admission process for students seeking seats in top IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs through JEE Main 2026 and JEE Advanced 2026. The JoSAA 2026 registration, choice filling, and seat allotment process is expected to begin from June 2, 2026 (tentative), shortly after JEE Advanced results. Candidates must complete online registration, fill and lock choices carefully, and track JoSAA opening & closing ranks, mock allotment, seat matrix, and CSAB special rounds to secure admission in leading engineering institutions.
Manabadi remains a trusted educational platform for students seeking real-time updates on JoSAA counselling dates, registration links, seat allotment results, cutoff trends, admission guidance, hall tickets, answer keys, and engineering entrance updates, helping aspirants stay informed throughout the admission journey.
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 regulate the joint seat allocation for admissions into IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
| Aspect | Details |
| Counselling Name | Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) Counselling 2026 |
| Conducting Authority | Joint Seat Allocation Authority |
| Government Authority | Ministry of Education |
| Start of Joint Seat Allocation (JoSAA) 2026 Process | June 02, 2026 |
| Examination Level | National |
| Course Type | Undergraduate |
| Participating Institutes | 23 IITs 31 NITs 26 IIITs 40+GFTIs |
| Eligibility | JEE Main 2026 or JEE Advanced 2026 Qualified Candidates |
| Mode of Process | Online |
| Seat Allotment Basis | JEE rank,Category,Prefernces and Seat availability. |
| Number of rounds | 6 Rounds |
| Number of Mock Allocation Rounds | 2 Rounds |
| Seat Acceptance Options | Freeze, Float, Slide |
| Official Website | https://josaa.nic.in |
| Information Portal | Manabadi.co.in |
| Main Objective | Simplify admissions through a single-window counselling platform |
| Post-JoSAA Option | CSAB counselling for vacant NIT+ seats |
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 (better branch) within the same institute. - However, you can change the option from Float to Slide or Freeze. You cannot go backward (e.g., you can’t go from Freeze b to Float).
- 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). For JoSAA 2026, OBC-NCL and EWS certificates must be issued on or after April 1, 2026.
- Format for EWS Certificate:
Date: Issued on/after April 1, 2026.
Validity: States “Valid for 2026-2027”.
Income FY: States “Financial Year 2025-2026”.
Limits: Income < ₹8 Lakh + matches central asset limits.
Template: Central Govt FORM-GEN-EWS (State formats rejected).
Sign: Stamped photo + signature from Tehsildar or higher official.
- Format for OBC-NCL Certificate:
Date: Issued on or after April 1, 2026.
Central List: Must mention your caste and its Central Resolution Number.
NCL Clause: Must explicitly state you belong to the “Non-Creamy Layer”.
Income Limit: Family income must be below ₹8 Lakh per annum.
Template: Central Govt FORM-OBC-NCL (State formats rejected) - Sign: Official stamp and signature from a Tehsildar or higher official
- Format for SC, ST Certificate:
Validity: Permanent (no expiry date).
Legal Clause: Must cite the specific Constitutional Order recognizing your caste.
Template: Central Govt FORM-SC/ST (State-specific layouts are rejected).
Sign: Official stamp and signature from a Tehsildar or higher official.
- PwD Certificate (If applicable): Format Includes
Criteria: Minimum 40% permanent disability is mandatory.
UDID Card: A valid Central UDID Card is fully accepted.
Forms Split:
Form II: Single major disability (amputation/blindness).
Form III: Multiple disabilities (evaluated by a Medical Board).
Form IV: Other single disabilities (hearing/speech/locomotor).
Sign: Signed and stamped with registration numbers by authorized Govt doctors/medical board. - Photo ID proof (Adhaar/Pan/Passport etc). Note: Name on the Adhaar card and 10th marksheet should be same.
- Note: Errors during document upload or failure to upload relevant documents may lead to cancellation of the seat.
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.
- Note: If you are allotted a seat in any round, you must pay the Seat Acceptance Fee and upload documents immediately in that round’s window. If you skip this, you will be permanently removed from JoSAA (e.g., if you got a seat in round 2, but you want to go for round 3, you should still pay the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF)and choose float or slide options), to upgrade your seat in the next round, you do not need to pay any fee again.
The Withdrawal Process:
To successfully withdraw, you must complete these steps on the official JoSAA portal:
- Online Request: Log in and select the “Withdrawal” option during the specified window for that round.
- Upload Documents: You are usually required to upload a Withdrawal Form signed by both you and your parent/guardian.
- Response to Queries: If the verifying officer has any doubts about your withdrawal request, they will raise a query. You must respond to this query online, or your withdrawal will not be processed, and you will remain stuck with the seat.
Consequences of Withdrawing:
- Out of JoSAA: Once you withdraw, you are out of the JoSAA process for the current year. You cannot re-enter in later rounds
- Eligibility for JEE Advanced Next Year: If you withdraw from a seat before the final round, you will still be eligible to attempt JEE Advanced again next year (provided you have an attempt left). However, if you do not withdraw the seat until the final round and are allotted a seat, then you are not eligible for JEE Advanced again, as the system assumes that the seat is occupied.
Withdrawal vs Exit:
There is a subtle difference between these two terms in the portal:
- Withdrawal: You have been allotted a seat in a previous round and now want to give it up and exit the counselling.
- Exit: You have not been allotted any seat yet, but you want to stop participating in future rounds of JoSAA.
Fee Refunds and Deductions:
If you withdraw after paying the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF), you are eligible for a refund, but it isn’t the full amount.
- Processing Fee: JoSAA typically deducts ₹7,000 as processing charges.
- Refund Amount: The remaining amount (e.g., ₹23000 if you paid ₹30,000) will be refunded to the bank account you provided during registration.
- Non-Refundable Scenarios: If you are allotted a seat in the final round, the SAF is generally non-refundable because that seat can no longer be offered to another candidate through JoSAA.
Expected Cutoff JosAA Counselling 2026:
| JoSAA 2026 Category | Expected cut off | Admission Outlook | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Category (Qualifying Cutoff) | 93.5 – 95+ percentile | Highly Competitive | Minimum eligibility for JoSAA counselling; safer target is 94+ percentile |
| OBC-NCL / EWS Categories | 80 – 90 percentile | Moderate to High | Better opportunities than General due to reservation benefits |
| SC / ST Categories | 48 – 64 percentile | Moderate | Lower qualifying cutoffs under reservation norms |
| Top NITs (CSE Branches) | AIR 1,500 – 5,000 | Extremely Competitive | Institutes like National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli and National Institute of Technology Karnataka require top ranks |
| Top NITs Home State Quota | AIR 2,000 – 3,000 | Very High | Slight advantage for home state candidates |
| Top NITs Other State Quota | AIR 1,000 – 1,500 | Extremely High | More competitive than Home State quota |
| IIITs (CSE/IT Branches) | AIR 27,000 – 35,000 | High | Institutes like Indian Institute of Information Technology Kota remain competitive |
| Other Engineering Branches (Mechanical/Civil) | AIR up to 70,000 | Moderate | Better admission opportunities in non-CSE branches |
| GFTIs | AIR 70,000+ | Moderate to Safer | Wider options for mid-to-lower rank candidates |
| Factors Affecting Cutoffs | Exam difficulty, applicant count, seat matrix, normalization | Variable | Rising competition may push cutoffs higher in 2026 |
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