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CSAB counselling: rounds, Freeze / Float / Slide and fees
Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) special rounds: NITs, IIITs and other NIT+ institutes only, after JoSAA ends, for seats still vacant. By JEE Main rank. IITs are not part of CSAB.
Every date, fee and rule below is from CSAB's own 2026 documents (linked at the end), read on 22 Oct 2026. Official site: csab.nic.in ↗
2026 round calendar
CSAB 2026 is over. The 2027 brochure will be on csab.nic.in.
| Round | Seat allotment (2026) | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and choice filling | 28 Jul, 10:00 to 3 Aug, 10:00 | Fresh registration is required even if you were in JoSAA. Vacant seats shown 28 Jul. Choices locked 5 Aug, 14:00. |
| Mock allotment | 31 Jul, 10:00 | A look at what your choices would get; reorder if needed. |
| Special Round I | 6 Aug, 17:00 | Pick a willingness option, pay and report online by 10 Aug, 17:00. |
| Special Round II (final) | 12 Aug, 17:00 | Report online by 14 Aug, 17:00. Physical reporting at the institute 13 to 18 Aug (tentative). |
Your options after a seat is allotted
Freeze
Accept this seat; no further change.
Float
Accept, and take a higher choice at any institute in Round II if allotted.
Slide
Accept, and take a higher choice within the same institute in Round II if allotted.
Surrender, Withdraw or Exit
Give up the seat or leave the process. Withdraw is offered only in Special Round I.
Rules to know before you accept a seat
- Who can register: anyone eligible for NIT+ seats on JEE Main 2026, including those who did not register in JoSAA, got no seat, exited, withdrew, or lost a seat for not paying.
- A NIT+ seat already secured with the partial admission fee is kept, but it is lost automatically if CSAB allots a new seat.
Fees (2026)
- Special round enrolment fee: ₹40,000 for GEN, GEN-EWS and OBC-NCL; ₹19,000 for SC/ST/PwD (includes ₹5,000 non-refundable processing fee). A JoSAA seat acceptance fee already paid is adjusted.
- Institute admission fee after allotment: ₹35,000 (GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL) or ₹16,000 (SC/ST/PwD); not charged if you already paid the JoSAA partial admission fee.
Which seat to lock: how to think about it
How should I order my choices?
Put them in the order you truly prefer, your first preference at the top. The allotment gives you the highest choice your rank reaches, so a choice you would happily take should never sit below one you would not. Do not leave out a dream choice because last year's closing rank looks out of reach; it costs nothing to list it above the safer ones.
When is Freeze right?
When the seat you got is the one you want most, or when you want certainty and would not move for any higher choice. After Freeze nothing changes.
When is Float right?
When you would take any higher choice on your list, at any institute. Remember that a higher seat, once allotted, replaces the current one: you cannot go back.
When is Slide right?
When you like this institute and want only a better branch there, not a move to another institute.
Does the predictor tell me what I will get?
No. A predictor compares your rank with last year's official closing ranks. Closing ranks move every year with seats and candidates, so treat a match as a guide, not a seat.
See which programmes closed at or above your rank last year: JoSAA college predictor (official closing ranks; free, nothing saved).
Official sources
- Information Brochure, CSAB Special Rounds 2026 (version 1.3) ↗ (17 Jul 2026)
- Schedule for DASA (UG) and CSAB Special Rounds 2026 ↗ (no date printed (posted Jun 2026))
This guide explains the published rules; it cannot tell you which seat you will be allotted. When the rules and this page differ, the official brochure is right.