The Central Seat Allocation Board (CSAB) has officially announced the counselling schedule for CSAB-Special and Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) 2025 rounds. This year, both processes have been unified under a common platform, allowing eligible candidates to register, submit choices, and complete the admission process via csab.nic.in.Following the completion of the JoSAA 2025 counselling, any vacant seats in the NIT+ system will now be filled through three dedicated rounds under CSAB-Special and DASA 2025. This unified approach streamlines the counselling process while keeping the procedural flow distinct from JoSAA. Fresh registration is mandatory, and all steps — including fee payment, document upload, and choice locking, must be completed within the CSAB portal timelines.
What’s different this year?
• Both DASA and CSAB-Special counselling processes will take place through a single platform.• The registration, fee structure, and document verification are independent of JoSAA protocols.• Candidates will have the opportunity to participate in up to three rounds to secure admission.Different verification timelines:• For DASA candidates, document verification will be completed before seat allotment.• For CSAB-Special candidates, document verification will take place during each round.
Important dates for DASA & CSAB-Special counselling 2025
Candidates should note the following registration and choice-filling dates:Category restoration window (For CSAB-Special only):• Opens: July 24, 2025 (10:00 AM)• Closes: July 25, 2025 (5:00 PM)• Last date to respond to queries: July 26, 2025 (12:00 PM)Start of counselling activities:• Display of seat vacancies: July 30, 2025 (10:00 AM)• Registration, fee payment (DEF/SREF), and choice filling begins: July 30, 2025• Mock seat allocation: August 3, 2025 (10:00 AM)• Final date to lock choices: August 7, 2025 (8:00 PM)
Fee details for DASA & CSAB-Special counselling 2025
Candidates applying through CSAB-Special 2025 must pay:• ₹40,000 for General/Gen-EWS/OBC-NCL• ₹19,000 for SC/ST/PwDThis includes: Institute Admission Fee-I (IAF-I) and Special Round Processing Fee (SRPF) of ₹5,000 (non-refundable)Note: If a candidate has already paid the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) during JoSAA 2025, the balance will be adjusted automatically.Candidates whose category was changed during JoSAA but who didn’t confirm their seats are required to pay an additional ₹15,000, accounting for fee differences across categories.
DASA & CSAB-Special counselling 2025: Round-wise schedule
There will be three rounds of seat allotment, giving candidates multiple opportunities to secure, upgrade, or confirm their admission before final reporting.Round 1• Seat Allotment: August 9, 2025 (5:00 PM)• Willingness Submission: Freeze, Slide, Float, Surrender, Withdraw, Exit• CSAB-Special Online Reporting & IAF-II Payment: August 9 to August 12• Resolution of payment issues: August 13Round 2• Seat Allotment: August 14, 2025 (5:00 PM)• Reporting Window: August 14 to August 16• Last date to resolve payment issues: August 18Round 3• Seat Allotment: August 19, 2025 (5:00 PM)• Reporting Window: August 19 to August 21• Final issue resolution: August 22All candidates who confirm their seats through any of the three rounds are required to report to their allotted institutes physically between August 20 to August 23, 2025 (tentative)
Additional information
• Document verification timelines vary for DASA and CSAB-Special candidates.• All deadlines must be strictly followed to maintain eligibility.• A “payment attempt” means the student uploaded documents and clicked the payment button but did not complete the transaction. These can be resolved within the round-specific issue windows.• One-time registration is sufficient for candidates participating in both CSAB-Special and DASA 2025.For detailed instructions, refer to the official counselling timeline available at csab.nic.in.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
