CSAB 2025 Counselling: FAQs on special rounds registration, eligibility criteria, fee, admission

The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) has answered the frequently asked questions on special rounds counselling 2025. According to the official guidelines, candidates who want to participate in the CSAB 2025 special rounds of counselling will have to register again on the official website at csab.nic.in.

Candidates who have accepted a seat through JoSAA 2025 and paid the Partial Admission Fee but do not wish to participate in CSAB Special Rounds 2025 are not required to register. They should complete admission formalities as per the instructions on the allotted institute’s website.

As per the official schedule, registration, payment of the CSAB special round enrolment fee (SREF), and choice filling will begin on July 30, 2025, at 10 am. The mock seat allocation, based on the choices submitted by candidates, will be displayed from August 2 to August 3, 2025, at 10 am.

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) candidates who obtained their OCI/PIO card before March 4, 2021, and wish to have their application considered under the OCI/PIO (I) category—regardless of whether they completed their Class 12 or equivalent education in India or abroad—are eligible to participate in the CSAB Special Rounds 2025, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.

CSAB Counselling 2025: Eligibility criteria

Candidates should meet at least one of the following two criteria in the year they first appeared for the Class 12 or equivalent examination in 2023, 2024 or 2025.

• Candidates should have either secured a minimum of 75% aggregate marks in the Class 12 or equivalent board examination. For candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories, the required aggregate is 65%. Or
• Candidates should be among the top 20 percentile of successful candidates in their respective categories, as per their Class 12 or equivalent board examination results.

Fee structure for CSAB special round participation

The following types of fees apply for participation in the CSAB special round:

• Special Round Processing Fee (SRPF): A non-refundable fee of Rs 5,000, charged for participation in the CSAB Special Round.
• Special Round Enrolment Fee (SREF): A fee of Rs 40,000 for GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates and Rs 19,000 for SC, ST, PwD candidates. This amount includes the first instalment of the admission fee at the allotted institute.
• Institute Admission Fee – II (IAF-II): Rs 35,000 for GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL candidates and Rs 16,000 for SC, ST, PwD candidates, which serves as the second instalment of the admission fee.
• The total enrolment fee (SREF) is the combined amount of SRPF and the first instalment of the Institute Admission Fee (IAF-I).

Candidates who took part in JoSAA rounds are also eligible for CSAB Special Rounds. If such candidates have already paid the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) and/or the Partial Admission Fee (PAF), the amount will be adjusted after deducting the JoSAA Processing Fee of Rs 5,000 or the withdrawal fee of Rs 7,000, as applicable.

CSAB special rounds 2025 counselling FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions on CSAB special rounds counselling. Candidates can also check the CSAB special rounds counselling FAQs through the official website.

FAQ: What is “State Code of Eligibility”?

Answer: The “State Code of Eligibility” for a candidate is determined by the state or union territory where they passed their Class 12 or equivalent examination. For more details, refer to the JoSAA 2025 Business Rules.

FAQ: Can a foreign passport holder who has completed their Class 12 or equivalent education in India participate in the CSAB Special Rounds?

Answer: No. Candidates who are not Indian nationals by birth or naturalisation and do not hold OCI/PIO (I) status, regardless of whether they completed their Class 12 or equivalent education in India or abroad, are not eligible for seat allocation through the CSAB 2025 Special Rounds for NITs, IIEST, IIITs, SPAs, and other GFTIs.

FAQ: Can a candidate who participated in the JoSAA round but was not allotted a seat, and has passed the Class 12 or equivalent examination with improvement, register for the CSAB Special Round?

Answer: Yes, you are eligible to register and take part in the CSAB Special Round following the schedule outlined in the Information Brochure.

FAQ: Is the CSAB special round processing fee refundable or can it be adjusted?

Answer: No, the CSAB special round processing fee of Rs 5,000 is non-refundable and cannot be adjusted against the admission fee of the allotted institute.

FAQ: Does the order of preferences in my choice list affect the outcome?

Answer: Yes, the seat allocation is based on the order of preferences in a candidate’s choice list. Therefore, candidates should arrange their preferred institutes and programmes carefully in order of priority. They can modify their choice list multiple times before locking it. However, once the choices are locked, no further changes or reordering will be allowed after the deadline.

FAQ: What is “Choice Locking”?

Answer: Choice locking refers to the final submission of preferences. After choices are locked, no changes can be made beyond the deadline.

FAQ: How will the seats be allotted in CSAB-Special Rounds?

Answer: Seat allotment is determined by the candidate’s JEE Main rank, seat availability based on the submitted choices, and the reservation norms set by the Government of India. The seat allocation process for the CSAB Special Round follows the same Business Rules as JoSAA. For more details, please refer to the JoSAA Business Rules available on the official JoSAA website.