JoSAA Section 4 Point 8 — State Code of Eligibility
Official Business Rules for NIT+ Home State quota · plus Freeze, Float, Slide & fees below
Last updated: 5 June 2026
Section IV · Point 8
State Code of Eligibility (NIT+ System)
Quick answer: Your state code is where you first appeared for Class XII — not where you live or your domicile. Example: XII in Delhi, home in Noida → code is Delhi.
For NIT+ seat allocation, every candidate is assigned a State Code of Eligibility. It is the state/UT where you first appeared for Class XII (or equivalent) — not your native place, domicile, or current residence.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| (i) First Class XII appearance state | State code = code of the state/UT from where the candidate first appeared for Class XII (or equivalent). Same codes as JEE (Main) 2026 Information Bulletin. Does NOT depend on native place or place of residence. Example: Class XII in Delhi but resident of Noida, UP → state code is Delhi, not Uttar Pradesh. |
| (ii) Improvement / repeat from another state | If you first appeared for Class XII from one state but took improvement from another state, state code remains the state of first appearance — not the improvement state. |
| (iii) Class XII from abroad (Indian nationals) | For Indian nationals who passed Class XII from an institution abroad (Nepal, Bhutan, Gulf, Sri Lanka, UK, US, Canada, etc.), state code is based on permanent address in India as given in the Indian passport. Upload passport with Class XII certificate/transcript. |
| (iv) OCI/PIO (I) candidates | OCI/PIO (I) passing Class XII in India: same rules as Indian nationals. OCI/PIO (I) passing Class XII abroad: eligible for Other State quota or All India quota only — NOT Home State quota in NIT+ System. |
Home State vs Other State quota: Home State quota at NITs/IIEST/PEC applies only when your State Code of Eligibility matches the institute's state/UT (Business Rules §11). Other States quota covers all states/UTs except the institute's home state.
सेक्शन 4 पॉइंट 8 — State Code of Eligibility (Hindi)
- NIT+ में सीट के लिए State Code = जहाँ आपने पहली बार Class XII की परीक्षा दी (native place या residence नहीं)।
- दिल्ली में XII, रहना Noida में → code Delhi, UP नहीं।
- Improvement दूसरे state से → code पहली appearance वाले state का रहेगा।
- विदेश से XII → Indian passport का permanent address India में।
Also on this page: Freeze / Float / Slide, seat acceptance fee (₹15,000 / ₹30,000), choice filling 2–11 Jun 2026, and 5 counselling rounds.
Other counselling rules
Freeze, Float, Slide & fees
Freeze vs Float vs Slide — Quick Comparison
Mandatory after seat allotment (unless you reject the seat). If allotted your 1st choice, only Freeze is available.
| Option | What it means | Upgrade scope | Further rounds? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze | Accept the allotted seat and stop participating in further rounds | None — seat is final (subject to document verification) | No |
| Float | Accept the seat but stay eligible for a higher-preference program in any institute | Any participating institute — higher up in your choice list | Yes (except last round) |
| Slide | Accept the seat but stay eligible for a higher-preference program within the same institute | Same institute only — e.g. CSE → EE at the same NIT | Yes (except last round) |
- Float/Slide not available in the last counselling round.
- You may change Float → Slide/Freeze or Slide → Freeze until the last round. Freeze is irreversible.
- Rejecting a higher upgrade after Float/Slide forfeits all seats and ends JoSAA participation.
Which option should I choose?
Choose Freeze if…
You got your 1st choice, or you are happy with the current seat
Choose Float if…
You want a better IIT/NIT/IIIT but will keep this seat if no upgrade comes
Choose Slide if…
You like the college but want a better branch inside it
फ्रीज, फ्लोट और स्लाइड क्या है? (Hindi)
- फ्रीज (Freeze): सीट स्वीकार करें और आगे के राउंड में भाग न लें — सीट फाइनल मानी जाती है।
- फ्लोट (Float): सीट रखें, लेकिन किसी भी इंस्टीट्यूट में ऊपर की पसंद मिले तो अपग्रेड लें।
- स्लाइड (Slide): सीट रखें, लेकिन उसी कॉलेज में बेहतर ब्रांच मिले तो अपग्रेड लें।
- पहली पसंद मिली हो तो केवल फ्रीज चुन सकते हैं। सीट एक्सेप्टेंस फी: SC/ST/PwD के लिए ₹15,000, बाकी के लिए ₹30,000।
Online reporting — 4 mandatory steps
Complete all steps before the round deadline or your seat is cancelled.
- 1
Accept seat
Choose Freeze, Float or Slide on the JoSAA portal (mandatory to continue).
- 2
Upload documents
Upload all Annexure 3 documents if not pre-uploaded during registration.
- 3
Pay seat acceptance fee
Pay ₹15,000 (SC/ST/PwD) or ₹30,000 (others) once in the first allotment round.
- 4
Respond to queries
Reply to document verification officer queries before the round deadline.
JoSAA seat acceptance fee 2026
Pay once in the first round you are allotted a seat. Includes ₹5,000 JoSAA processing charges.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| SC, ST, GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD | ₹15,000 |
| All other candidates | ₹30,000 |
Non-refundable. Valid withdrawal refunds fee minus ₹7,000 deduction.
Documents for JoSAA verification
Pre-upload during choice filling (recommended) or upload during online reporting (Annexure 3).
- Class X certificate / marksheet (date of birth proof)
- Class XII certificate / marksheet (eligibility proof)
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwD) — issued as per notification format
- PwD certificate with disability percentage (if applicable)
- Proof of state of eligibility (domicile / Class XII school location)
- Passport-size photograph and signature (as per JoSAA upload specs)
- OCI/PIO or nationality documents (foreign candidates only)
- Medical fitness certificate (if required by admitting institute)
Registration & choice filling
- Window: 2 June 2026 (17:00) – 11 June 2026 (17:00 IST) — no extension.
- Login: JEE (Main) 2026 application no. & password; foreign/OCI use JEE (Advanced) direct registration.
- Cost: Free for registration and choice filling.
- Lock choices before deadline; auto-lock at deadline if not locked manually.
- Only one seat offered across all JEE papers — order B.Tech/B.Arch/B.Plan choices carefully.
- Mock seat allocations: 8 & 10 June 2026 — test your preference order.
Who can participate?
Register on JoSAA portal and meet Class XII performance criteria (Annexure 2).
| Criterion | Exam | Institutes |
|---|---|---|
| (i) | JEE (Advanced) 2026 | IITs & IISc (excluding preparatory courses) |
| (ii) | JEE (Advanced) 2026 | IIT preparatory courses |
| (iii) | JEE (Main) 2026 Paper 1 (B.E./B.Tech.) | NITs, IIEST, IIITs & Other-GFTIs |
| (iv) | JEE (Main) 2026 Paper IIA (B.Arch.) | NITs, IIEST, IIITs & Other-GFTIs |
| (v) | JEE (Main) 2026 Paper IIB (B.Planning) | NITs, IIEST, IIITs & Other-GFTIs |
Category tags for seat allocation
Partial Admission Fee (NIT+ only)
After Round 5 — pay PAF between 22–24 July 2026.
| Category | PAF amount |
|---|---|
| SC, ST, GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD | ₹20,000 |
| All other candidates | ₹45,000 |
Non-payment forfeits seat → CSAB 2026 special rounds. csab.nic.in
Withdrawal & exit
- Withdraw: From Round 2 (IIT/IISc until Round 4 end). Declaration + OTP. Refund minus ₹7,000.
- Exit: For candidates not allotted any seat — forfeits further participation.
- Reject seat: Skip online reporting — permanently excluded from JoSAA 2026.
- No spot round for IITs/IISc.
Female supernumerary seats
IITs, IISc, NITs, IIEST and select IIITs run Female-Only pools (target ≥20% females) alongside Gender-Neutral pools. Female candidates try Female-Only first, then Gender-Neutral. Vacant Female-Only seats are not offered to male candidates.
FAQs — Section 4 Point 8 & Counselling
- What is JoSAA business rules Section 4 point 8?
- Section IV, point 8 defines the State Code of Eligibility for NIT+ System seat allocation. It is the state/UT where you first appeared for Class XII (or equivalent), not your native place or residence. It determines Home State vs Other State quota at NITs, IIEST and PEC Chandigarh.
- What is state code of eligibility in JoSAA?
- The state where you first appeared for Class XII exam. Example: studied in Delhi but live in Noida → Delhi code. Used only for NIT+ Home State / Other State quota — not for IIT seat allocation.
- Does state code of eligibility depend on domicile or residence?
- No. JoSAA Business Rules §IV(8)(i) explicitly states it does NOT depend on native place or place of residence — only on the state of first Class XII (or equivalent) appearance.
- I improved Class XII marks from another state — which state code applies?
- The state where you first appeared for Class XII, not the improvement state (Business Rules §IV(8)(ii)).
- What is the difference between Freeze, Float and Slide in JoSAA?
- Freeze accepts your seat and ends further rounds. Float accepts the seat but lets you upgrade to a higher-preference program in any institute. Slide accepts the seat but lets you upgrade only within the same institute. If you got your first choice, only Freeze is available.
- Can I change from Float to Freeze in JoSAA 2026?
- Yes. You can change Float → Slide or Freeze, and Slide → Freeze, in all rounds except the last round. Once you select Freeze, the choice is irreversible.
- What happens if I do not pay the JoSAA seat acceptance fee on time?
- Your allotted seat is cancelled and you cannot participate in subsequent JoSAA 2026 rounds. Complete all four online reporting steps (accept, upload, pay, respond to queries) before the round deadline.
- What is the JoSAA seat acceptance fee for General category?
- ₹30,000 for General and most categories. SC, ST and PwD candidates pay ₹15,000. This includes ₹5,000 JoSAA processing charges adjusted against admission fee. Pay once in the round where you are first allotted a seat.
- When is JoSAA 2026 choice filling?
- 2 June 2026 (17:00 IST) to 11 June 2026 (17:00 IST). Lock choices before the deadline — unsaved choices are ignored and choices auto-lock at deadline.
- Should I choose Float or Slide after JoSAA seat allotment?
- Choose Float if you want a better college anywhere (e.g. NIT Trichy → IIT). Choose Slide if you want a better branch in the same college (e.g. Mechanical → CSE at the same NIT). Choose Freeze if you are satisfied with the allotted seat.
- Where can I download JoSAA 2026 business rules PDF?
- The official JoSAA 2026 Business Rules PDF is published on josaa.nic.in and endorsed by JAB 2026 and CSAB 2026. It covers eligibility, seat allocation, fees, Freeze/Float/Slide, withdrawal and document verification.
- What documents are required for JoSAA counselling verification?
- Class X and XII certificates, category certificate (if applicable), PwD certificate, proof of state of eligibility, photograph and signature. Upload on the JoSAA portal as per Annexure 3 before or during online reporting.
5 counselling rounds + key dates
JoSAA 2026 schedule →Resize photo for JEE / JoSAA upload
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