By the Online Coaching 4u team
Last updated: 19 August 2026.
The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) has closed out Round-II of its 2026 DASA & CSAB-Special counselling and Round 2 of CSAB-NEUT counselling, with a NEUT spot round due to open on 20 August 2026 for any Engineering, Architecture and Pharmacy seats still vacant in the North-Eastern states and eligible Union Territories quota.
CSAB Special: NIT+ vacant seats after JoSAA
CSAB-Special fills seats left vacant in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs - collectively the "NIT+" system - once all five rounds of JoSAA counselling conclude; since 2025 it has run as a single combined window with DASA. Round-I results for DASA & CSAB-Special 2026 were declared on 6 August, and Round-II results followed on 12 August, per the official schedule published on csab.nic.in. Candidates allotted seats in Round-II had until 14 August, 17:00 hrs to pay the Institute Admission Fee-II and upload documents, with 17 August as the last date to respond to Document Verifying Officer queries. Physical reporting at allotted institutes runs from 13 to 18 August 2026 (tentative dates, per CSAB), after which candidates should check directly with their allotted institute for reporting deadlines.
CSAB-NEUT: Round 2 result and a 20 August spot round
Separately, CSAB-NEUT - which reserves AICTE-approved Engineering, Architecture and Pharmacy seats for candidates from North-Eastern states and select Union Territories - declared its Round 2 seat allotment result on 9 August 2026, per the official CSAB-NEUT schedule. Candidates allotted seats in Round 2 had from 10 to 12 August to pay the Rs 5,000 seat-acceptance fee and download their Provisional Admission Letter, followed by a seat-withdrawal window on 13-14 August. Physical reporting at allotted institutes continues through 21 August 2026, and CSAB has scheduled a spot round - to be separately declared and run by each participating state, Union Territory or NERIST - for 20 to 28 August 2026, to fill any seats still lying vacant.
What this means for JEE aspirants
For JEE Main-qualified candidates who did not get a seat through JoSAA’s five rounds, the CSAB-NEUT spot round (open only to candidates eligible for the North-Eastern/UT quota) and any further vacant-seat notices CSAB issues for the NIT+ system remain the last formal counselling routes into a centrally-coordinated engineering seat for the 2026-27 academic session. Because spot-round dates and eligibility are set individually by each state, UT or NERIST, candidates should track csab.nic.in directly rather than third-party trackers for confirmed dates.
Quick facts
DASA & CSAB-Special Round-II result: declared 12 August 2026, 17:00 hrs
CSAB-Special reporting window (tentative): 13-18 August 2026
CSAB-NEUT Round 2 result: declared 9 August 2026, 17:00 hrs
CSAB-NEUT institute reporting window: through 21 August 2026
CSAB-NEUT spot round: 20-28 August 2026, dates set individually by each state, UT or NERIST
Important pointers
- [12 Aug 2026] DASA & CSAB-Special Round-II seat allotment result declared for NIT+ System vacant seats, per the official CSAB schedule.
- [Deadline: 17 Aug 2026] Last day for CSAB-Special Round-II candidates to respond to Document Verifying Officer queries and resolve Institute Admission Fee-II payment issues, per csab.nic.in.
- [9 Aug 2026] CSAB-NEUT Round 2 seat allotment result declared for Engineering, Architecture and Pharmacy seats reserved for North-Eastern states and eligible Union Territories.
- [20-28 Aug 2026] CSAB-NEUT spot round window opens, with exact dates to be declared individually by each participating state, UT or NERIST.
- Myth check: CSAB-Special and CSAB-NEUT are not extensions of JoSAA - both run on separate portals with their own registration, fees and choice-filling, so a JoSAA seat allotment does not carry over automatically into either.
Sources: CSAB DASA & CSAB-Special 2026 official page (csab.nic.in); CSAB-NEUT 2026 official page (csab.nic.in).
Last updated: 19 August 2026.
