The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) 2019 will soon conduct the online counselling process for admission to various Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National Institute of Technology (NITs), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Based on the rank secured in JEE (Main and Advanced) 2019 by the candidates, seats will be allotted to them by JoSAA.
In this article, we are providing you some frequently asked questions related to counselling schedule, seat allotment, choice filling and locking, eligibility criteria, fee payment of JoSAA 2019 Counselling. Answers of these all questions are based on the experts view.
Q1: What is JoSAA?
Ans: JoSAA is an acronym for “Joint Seat Allocation Authority”. It is constituted by the Ministry of HRD to oversee joint seat allocation for the IITs, NITs, IIITs and other GFTIs. It consists of representatives from the Joint Admission Board (JAB) (for IITs) and the Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) (for NITs, IIITs (Triple-I-Ts) and Other-GFTIs). JoSAA is the ONLY authorized agency responsible for joint seat allocation.
Q2: Is there any other agency for conducting the seat allocation to IITs and NITs?
Ans: No agency other than JoSAA is responsible for joint seat allocation for IITs and NIT+ Institutes. Candidates seeking information / assistance from any agency / agent other than JoSAA shall be doing so at their own risk and cost.
Q3: I have qualified in JEE Advanced 2019/JEE Main 2019. Is it mandatory to register in JoSAA to get a seat in IITs, NITs, IIITs (Triple-I-Ts) and Other-GFTIs?
Ans: JoSAA 2019 Registration and choice filling process is mandatory for any qualified candidate interested in joining any of the IITs, NITs, IIITs (Triple-I-Ts) and Other-GFTIs (within the purview of JoSAA 2019).
Q4: What is CSAB?
Ans: CSAB is an acronym for “Central Seat Allocation Board”. It is an agency constituted by the Ministry of HRD. It is entrusted with the responsibility of admission for the various undergraduate courses offered by the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs or Triple-I-Ts) and a few other technical Institutes funded fully or partially by Central or a State government (Other-GFTIs). These Institutes are collectively referred to as NIT+ Institutes.
Q5: What is JoSAA registration? Is there any registration fee?
Ans: After initial login, you will be asked to reconfirm/correct a few details, viz. gender, state code of eligibility, nationality and contact details. This is the registration process. After that you will proceed for filling-in of your program choices. There is no payment for the registration and choice filling.
Q6: What is the JoSAA registration process?
Ans: Login to the JoSAA portal http://josaa.nic.in using JEE Main 2019 or JEE Advacned 2019 credentials. Then reconfirm (or correct, if required) your basic details, viz., gender, nationality, and state code of eligibility along with the contact details. No other personal data can be modified.
Q7: What is the time period of JoSAA registration and choice filling?
Ans: Tentatively from June 2019 to August 2019.
Q8: When should I pay any money to JoSAA and how much should I pay?
Ans: If you are offered a seat in any round of seat allocation process, then for accepting the seat you have to pay seat acceptance fee and report at a reporting centre for document verification. Seat acceptance fee for SC/ST/PwD candidates is expected to be Rs. 15,000/- and for others it is expected to be Rs. 35,000/-. Fee will be deposited using the following modes of payment: Online Banking of State Bank of India ONLY, debit cards issued by State Bank of India ONLY or through e-challan from State Bank of India ONLY before coming to the Reporting Centre.
Q9: What are the qualifying examinations for admission to NIT+ Institutes?
Ans: Candidates qualified in either one or both JEE Main 2019 Paper-1 (B.E. / B.Tech.) and JEE Main 2019 Paper-2 (B.Arch. / B.Planning) are eligible for admission to NIT+ Institutes. However, merely qualifying in these examinations does not guarantee admission in any of the Institute. Each Institute / academic program has additional eligibility requirements which candidates have to satisfy to get admission.
Q10: Can JoSAA prepare / announce JEE Main 2019 ranks?
Ans: No. JEE Main 2019 ranks are provided by the JEE Apex Board. JoSAA 2019 uses these ranks as such without any further change.
Q11: What are the rank lists?
Ans: Common rank list (CRL) where everyone will be considered; CRL-PwD where anyone with disabilities will be considered. For OBC-NCL candidates, OBC-NCL and OBC-NCL-PwD are included. Similarly, in SC list, both SC and SC-PwD are included, and in ST list, both ST and ST-PwD rank lists are included.
Q12: Can I appear in one or more rank lists?
Ans: Yes. Depending on your (birth) category and physical disability status and performance in the entrance examination, you may appear in more than one rank list and a maximum of four rank lists in each of JEE Main and JEE Advanced.
Q13: After JEE Main 2019 ranks published, my Class XII marks got changed due to re-evaluation. What will happen to my rank and seat allocation?
Ans: As JEE Main 2019 ranks are not depend on Class XII marks, there will not be any change your rank.
Q14: Is JoSAA responsible for seat matrix data?
Ans: No; JoSAA 2019 is NOT responsible for the seat matrix data. JoSAA 2019 will allocate seats as per the seat matrix data provided by the participating Institutes.
Q15: Are PIO/OCI cardholders eligible for getting admission?
Ans: Yes; PIO/OCI cardholders might be eligible for getting admission in NITs/IIITs/ Other-GFTIs based on JEE Main 2019 and in IITs based on JEE Advanced 2019.
Q16: What will be the category of a PIO/OCI candidate for allotment of seat?
Ans: PIO/ OCI candidates will be considered as General (GEN) or GEN-PwD (persons with disabilities) and seat allotted to them are OPEN or OPEN-PwD.
Q17: What is an “academic program” referred to in seat allocation?
Ans: In the context of seat allocation, “academic program” refers to the combination of course and Institute. For example, 4-year B.Tech in Biotechnology offered by NIT Calicut is an “academic program”.
Q18: Where can I find the academic program and the number of seats available category-wise?
Ans: You may visit JoSAA 2019 web portal to get the data.
Q19: Is there any cut off marks for registration and choice filling for getting admission in NITs/IIITs/Other-GFTIs/IIEST?
Ans: No. There is no cut off marks for registration and choice filling for getting admission in NITs/IIITs/Other-GFTIs/IIEST. All the candidates whose JEE Main 2019 ranks are declared will be allowed to fill-in their choices.
Q20: What are the seat quotas of various institutes considered under JoSAA?
Ans:
- All India: all candidates are eligible for this seat quota
- Home State quota: only candidates whose state code of eligibility is same as the state / union territory in which the Institute is located are eligible for this seat quota
- Other State quota: only candidates whose state of eligibility is NOT same as the state / union territory in which the Institute is located are eligible for this seat quota.
Q21: What types of seat quotas are available for admission into IITs?
Ans: There is only ONE type of seat quota, viz., All India quota, in IITs.
Q22: What types of seat quotas are available for admission into NITs?
Ans: There are two types of seat quotas in NITs. These are Home State quota and Other State quota.
Q23: What types of seat quotas are available for admission into IIITs (Triple-I-Ts)?
Ans: There is only one type of seat quota, viz., All India quota, in IIITs (Triple-I-Ts).
Q24: What types of seat quota are available for admission into Other-GFTIs?
Ans: Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi and IIEST, Shibpur are having Home State and Other State quotas. Assam University has All India and Home State quotas. All other GFTIs have only All India quota.
Q25: Whether PIO/OCI card holders eligible for Home State quota, wherever it is available?
Ans: OCI/PIO candidates passing the Class XII (or equivalent) examination in India are eligible for Home State Quota seats. Whereas those who pass the Class XII (or equivalent) examination from an institution abroad are eligible for Other State quota or All India quota seats (but NOT Home State quota seats).
Q26: What is the state code of eligibility for a candidate who is a resident of Bihar and appears for the Class XII examination in West Bengal?
Ans: The candidate’s State code of eligibility is West Bengal but NOT Bihar. The state code will be based on the place from where the candidate has passed Class XII but does NOT depend upon the native place or the place of residence of the candidate.
Q27: What is the state code of the candidate who passes Class XII examination from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)?
Ans: This is the state from where the candidate appears and passes the Class XII examination. In case of “compartment”, state of eligibility will be based on the state from which the candidate appears for the compartmental examination of NIOS.
Q28: What is the state code for Indian nationals passing the class XII from abroad (including Nepal/Bhutan)?
Ans: The state code of the candidate will be determined on the basis of permanent address in India as given in the passport of the candidate.
Q29: When will be the number of seats available in different categories/quotas (seat matrix) announced?
Ans: It has already been announced; visit http://josaa.nic.in for details.
Q30: How should I order the choices of academic programs?
Ans: You must order your choices of academic program in the DECREASING order of preferences. That is, your most preferred one should be on the top.
Q31: Will a candidate be allowed to reshuffle the choice list at any stage of seat allotment?
Ans: Candidates are allowed to reshuffle/reorder their choices ONLY during choice filling period before they “lock” their choices. Beyond that there is NO option of reordering.
Q32: What is locking of choices? Once locked, can I unlock?
Ans: Lock is an option indicating the finalization of choices after which the candidates can print their choices in final format. Once the choices are locked, they cannot be unlocked. Lock option will be enabled only after the announcement of mock round of allocation.
Q33: Do I need to pay any fees for registration and filling up choices?
Ans: No; you do not have to make any payment for registration and filling up of choices.
Q34: What happens if I do not “lock” my choices?
Ans: If you do not lock your choices, the last saved choices/preferences will be locked automatically at the conclusion of the time-window for filling-in of choices.
Q35: How does JoSAA allocate seats?
Ans: JoSAA allocates seats based on candidate’s JEE Main 2019 ranks [for NIT+ institutes] or JEE Advanced 2019 ranks [for IITs] in the order of highest to least preferred and availability of seats following the business rules.
Q36: What happens if there are multiple students with the same rank seek admission to the same academic program?
Ans: All such candidates will be given equal preference. If required, supernumerary seats will be created.
Q37: Can I get both NIT seat and IIT seat in any round of allotment?
Ans: No; only one seat, which is the best available among your choices based your rank(s), will be allotted.
Q38: Where should a candidate report after seat allotment?
Ans: A candidate who is allotted a seat in an IIT must report at any one of the reporting centres of IITs. A candidate who is allotted a seat in an NIT+ Institute must report at any one of the reporting centre of NITs’s list. The list of reporting centres is available on the JoSAA web portal, http://josaa.nic.in
Q39: What is dual reporting?
Ans: If a candidate has accepted a seat in an NIT+ Institute in one round, and then in a subsequent round the candidate is allocated a seat in an IIT, then he/she has to report to any one of the reporting centers of the IITs for document verification. Note that there is no need to pay seat acceptance fee again. Similarly, if a candidate accepted a seat in IITs in one round and gets seat in NIT+ institute, then again he has to report at any one of the NIT+ reporting centre. Otherwise, he/she will forfeit both the seats.
Q40: I have accepted my seat in NIT/ IIIT/ Other-GFTI in one round; now I got an offer from IIT seat allocation in subsequent rounds. What will happen to my earlier seat?
Ans: The seat accepted by you in the NIT, IIIT (Triple-I-T) or Other-GFTI is treated as forfeited.
Q41: For the above case if I do not appear in IIT reporting centre physically, can I get back my NIT seat again?
Ans: No, you have forfeited the earlier seat. In other words, you have neither the NIT / IIIT (Triple-I-T) / Other-GFTI seat accepted nor the IIT seat allocated in the subsequent round.
Q42: Do I need to pay any fees at the time of online seat acceptance?
Ans: At the time of seat acceptance, you have to remit only the seat acceptance fee. It is Rs. 15,000 for SC, ST, PwD candidates and Rs. 35,000/-for others. The seat acceptance fee will be adjusted against the admission fee by the admitting institute.
Q43: How to remit seat acceptance fee?
Ans: Candidates can remit seat acceptance fee using an Online banking ONLY from State Bank of India, Debit cards issued by State Bank of India and e-challan at any branch of State Bank of India [and no other bank] or pay online using SBI Internet Banking.
Q44: I got a seat in an NIT/IIIT/other GFTI in a round. Am I required to pay seat acceptance fee again if I am allocated a seat in next round in IIT?
Ans: No. There is no need to pay seat acceptance fee again. The amount deposited in the earlier round of allotment will be adjusted with the subsequent allotment.
Q45: What are the documents needed during reporting?
Ans: Original certificates, along with one photocopy each, of the documents/certificates listed in “Check List” given on JoSAA portal http://josaa.nic.in
Q46: I do not want to accept the allocated seat. What should I do?
Ans: You can reject the allocated seat by (i) NOT remitting the seat acceptance fee [and hence, not reporting at the reporting center] (ii) Not reporting at the Reporting Center, if the seat acceptance fee has already been remitted.
Q47: Where do I find the format of all the certificates required for seat acceptance?
Ans: Formats of all the required certificates are available on http://josaa.nic.in
Q48: I rejected a seat in one round. Can I participate in the seat allocation again?
Ans: No. You cannot. However, you can participate in CSAB Special Round, which will be conducted only for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs after completion of JoSAA rounds. Detailed information about CSAB Special Round can be seen at www.csab.nic.in.
Q49: In case of upgradation, does the candidate have to report again?
Ans: Yes, it is mandatory if the upgradation is from an NIT+ Institute to IITs or vice-versa. Otherwise, you do not have to report again if the upgradation is within the same system.
Q50: I accepted a seat in first round and now hoping for a better seat. Can I withdraw from the process?
Ans: If there is/are subsequent rounds of seat allotment, you are allowed to withdraw and vacate the seat. But is it not possible in the final round. For example, if there are seven rounds of seat allotments, then up to the end of sixth round seat acceptance period, withdraw option can be exercised. Once seventh round allotment is done, you will not be allowed to withdraw.
Q51: I would like to withdraw. Can I get the refund of seat acceptance fee?
Ans: Yes. Seat acceptance fee will be refunded to you after deducting the processing charges of Rs 1500/-.
Q52: I have paid the seat acceptance fee and I want to reject the seat by not reporting at a reporting centre. How can I claim refund?
Ans: You can claim refund online. Login to JoSAA portal and file your request online. Request will be processed in due course of time.
Q53: What are the meanings of the terms 'Freeze', 'Float' and 'Slide'?
Ans: These three options allow a candidate to either retain the seat allocated or to opt for a change in seat as per candidate's preference in any of the institutes or in the same institute in which the seat is allocated.
- Freeze option: Candidate is content with the allocated seat, accepts it and is not interested in participating in further rounds of seat allocation. This candidate will NOT be considered in subsequent rounds of seat allotment.
- Float option: Candidate accepts the offered seat and wants to opt for a seat in an academic program of higher preference in any Institute if offered in the subsequent rounds. If he/she does not get a seat in a higher preference program, he/she will continue with the currently accepted academic program. This candidate will be considered in subsequent rounds of seat allotment.
- Slide option: Candidates accepts the offered seat and wants to opt for a seat in an academic program of higher preference within the same Institute if offered in the subsequent rounds. This candidate will be considered in subsequent rounds of seat allotment.
Let us consider the hypothetical case of Krishna. His choices are as follows:
| Choice |
Institute |
Program |
Degree/Years |
| 1 |
IITB |
Aerospace Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 2 |
IITB |
Civil Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 3 |
IITK |
Mechanical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 4 |
IITH |
Computer Science |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 5 |
IITB |
Chemical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 6 |
IITH |
Electrical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 7 |
IIT(BHU) |
Computer Science |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 8 |
IITK |
Chemical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 9 |
IITD |
Chemical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 10 |
IITD |
Production and Industrial Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 11 |
IITR |
Electronics and Communication Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 12 |
IITD |
Engineering Physics |
B.Tech, 4 |
| 13 |
IITM |
Chemical Engineering |
B.Tech, 4 |
Round 1 of seat allocation: Krishna gets IITD Engineering Physics (choice #12)
Round 1 of seat acceptance:
Possibility #1:
Krishna chooses the FREEZE option: Krishna is satisfied with the allocated seat, i.e., IITD Engineering Physics. His decision is final and he accepts and gets the seat. He CANNOT participate in further rounds of seat allocation.
Final allotment: IITD Engineering Physics.
Possibility #2:
Krishna chooses the FLOAT option: Krishna accepts the IITD Engineering Physics (choice #12) seat but wants to wait for a seat in the higher preference (i.e., choices #1 to #11) program in the subsequent rounds. He will be considered in subsequent rounds of seat allocation. In the 2nd (or 3rd) round, if he DOES NOT get any of the options #1 to #11, he still retains the IITD Engineering Physics seat. However, if he gets a seat of higher preference, say, option #5, IITB Chemical Engineering, he will be allocated the IITB Chemical Engineering seat and he loses the IITD Engineering Physics seat.
Possibility #3:
Krishna chooses the SLIDE option: Krishna accepts the IITD Engineering Physics (choice #12) seat but wants to wait for a seat within the same Institute (IITD in this case) for a seat in a program of higher preference (choices #9 and #10). He will be considered in subsequent rounds of seat allocation. In the 2nd (or 3rd) round, if he DOES NOT get either of these two options (viz., #9 or #10), he still retains the IITD Engineering Physics seat. However, if he gets a seat in one these two options, say, IITD Chemical Engineering, he will be allocated the IITD Chemcal Engineering seat and he will lose his IITD Engineering Physics seat.
NOTE:
Krishna is assured of AT THE LEAST the IITD Engineering Physics seat irrespective of whether he chooses FREEZE, FLOAT or SLIDE option.
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Q54: Can I fill the choice at reporting centre (RC)?
Ans: No, choice filling has to be done online. After that there is no choice filling or reordering option. All the rounds of seat allotments will be based on these choices only. RC activity starts after choice filling, where only document verification and seat acceptance are done.
Q55: What is the activity at reporting center (RC)?
Ans: Candidate who is offered a seat (as per his/her choices), will have to report in person at an RC for document verification (see check list of documents on JoSAA portal) for accepting the seat.
Q56: I am not interested in the seat offered. Can I participate in seat allotment in further rounds without accepting the seat now?
Ans: First of all do not fill-in the choices for the courses that you are not interested. If you do not accept the seat, you will be out from the seat allotment process. You will not be able to participate in further JoSAA rounds. Such candidates can however participate in CSAB Special Round, which will be conducted only for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs after completion of JoSAA rounds. Detailed information about CSAB Special Round can be seen at www.csab.nic.in.
Q57: What are preparatory courses?
Ans: Preparatory course is a one-year course at IITs where the students will be given training in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English Language. After successful completion, the students will be given admission in their respective courses (B.Tech./B.S. etc.) as per their JoSAA allotment.
Q58: Who is eligible for preparatory courses?
Ans: Those candidates who are in any of the preparatory rank lists of JEE Advanced 2019 might be eligible for preparatory courses.
Q59: How and when is the preparatory course offered?
Ans: If SC/ST/PwD seats in IITs are not filled by candidates who are in the rank lists CRL-Pwd/OBC-NCL-PwD/SC-Pwd/ST-PwD/SC/ST, those seats will be offered to the candidates who are in preparatory rank list. Candidates in preparatory rank list have to fill their choices along with all others. As and when there is a vacancy and is opted by a preparatory candidate, then the seat will be offered to the candidate. This will be done in every round of seat allotment.
Q60: Will there be any separate allotment for preparatory courses?
Ans: No; preparatory courses will be allotted along with all other courses.
Q61: I have been offered a seat in the 1st round of allotment. I will not be able to accept the seat at this moment. Can I accept the same seat later?
Ans: No; if you do not report in person and accept the seat in the respective seat acceptance period of the round (please follow the schedule), then you will lose the seat and you will be out of seat allotment process in JoSAA. However, such candidates can participate in CSAB Special Round, which will be conducted only for NITs, IIITs & GFTIs after completion of JoSAA rounds. Detailed information about CSAB Special Round can be seen at www.csab.nic.in.
Q62: I am from Bhopal and I have been offered a seat in an IIT. Can I report at the RC at NIT Bhopal for accepting the seat?
Ans: No; anyone who is offered a seat in an IIT must report at any of the 17 reporting centres of IITs. Please see the list of reporting centres on JoSAA portal.
Q63: What is dual reporting?
Ans: If you have accepted a seat of an NIT in the previous round and your seat is now upgraded to an IIT seat, then you MUST report at an RC of IITs and accept the seat. Otherwise, you will lose both the seats. Similarly, if a candidate’s seat is changed from an IIT to an NIT, he/she MUST report at an RC of NIT to accept the seat.
Q64: Will there be a spot round for NITs/IIITs/Other-GFTIs?
Ans: No, there is no spot round. But, there will be a special round for NITs/IIITs/Other-GFTIs only after all the 7 rounds of seat allocation are over. This would involve new choice filling where all candidates (including those who are already admitted, non-admitted and those who did not fill choices earlier) can fill-in their choices. The schedule for this round will be announced in due course of time at http://csab.nic.in.
Q65: Will there be a spot/special round for IITs?
Ans: No.
Q66: I am from Mumbai and I have been offered a seat in NIT Durgapur. Can I report at IIT Bombay for accepting the seat?
Ans: No; anyone who is offered a seat in an NIT/IIIT/IIEST/Other-GFTI must report at any of the 38 reporting centres of those Institutes.
