JoSAA counselling begins today: The gateway to IITs, NITs and IIITs

With JEE Advanced 2026 results out, JoSAA counselling begins on June 2, opening the admission process for IITs, NITs, IIITs and other government-funded institutes. The counselling will be conducted in five seat allotment rounds, while AAT registration for select IIT BArch programmes is also underway. Check out the full schedule, direct link, process and seat allocation

In Short

• Shubham Kumar secured AIR 1 with 330 marks from IIT Delhi zone
• Kabeer Chhillar bagged AIR 2 with 329 marks from same zone
• Of 1,79,694 candidates appearing, 56,880 qualified, including 10,107 female candidates

The road to India's most prestigious engineering institutes enters its next crucial phase as JoSAA counselling 2026 begins today following the announcement of JEE Advanced results.

Eligible candidates can now register and fill their choices for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and other leading government-funded technical institutes across the country.

WHO TOPPED JEE ADVANCED 2026?

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee announced the JEE Advanced 2026 results on Sunday. Shubham Kumar from the IIT Delhi zone secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 with 330 marks, while Kabeer Chhillar, also from the IIT Delhi zone, claimed AIR 2 with 329 marks.

Out of 1,87,389 registered candidates, 1,79,694 appeared for both examination papers. A total of 56,880 candidates qualified, including 10,107 female candidates.

WHAT IS JOSAA, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) conducts the centralised admission process for more than 120 premier technical institutions across India. These include:

• 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
• 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
• 26 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
• Several Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs)

Admissions to IITs are based on JEE Advanced ranks, while admissions to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs are carried out using JEE Main ranks.

WHEN DOES JOSAA 2026 REGISTRATION BEGIN?

JoSAA registration and choice filling will begin on June 2 at 5 pm IST and continue until June 11 at 5 pm IST.

Candidates must register on the official JoSAA portal, fill in their preferred institute-programme combinations and lock their choices before the deadline. If choices are not locked manually, the system will automatically lock them once the deadline expires.

WHAT IS THE ADMISSION PROCESS?

Through the JoSAA portal, candidates will:

1. Register for counselling.
2. Fill in and arrange institute programme preferences.
3. Lock their choices.
4. Participate in seat allotment rounds.
5. Complete online reporting and admission formalities after seat allocation.

HOW MANY SEAT ALLOTMENT ROUNDS WILL BE HELD?

According to the official schedule, JoSAA 2026 will conduct five rounds of seat allocation. The counselling and admission process is expected to continue for nearly seven weeks.

WHAT ABOUT AAT 2026?

Registration for the Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) 2026, required for admission to BArch programmes at select IITs, opened on June 1 and is being conducted alongside the JoSAA counselling process.

The start of JoSAA counselling marks the next crucial step for thousands of engineering aspirants seeking admission to India's most prestigious technical institutions.

Candidates are advised to carefully evaluate their options, complete registration on time, and stay updated with the counselling schedule to maximize their chances of securing a seat in their preferred institute and programme.

- Ends