IISER 2026 Counselling Schedule Out: Round 1 Seat Allotment Begins July 24 at iiseradmission.in

The Joint Admissions Committee (JAC) 2026 has officially released the complete counselling schedule for the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) admissions. Candidates who qualified for the highly competitive IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2026 can check the seat allotment dates and detailed round-by-round schedule on the official portal at iiseradmission.in.

The countdown has officially begun as the Round 1 admission offers and seat allotment will kick off on July 24, 2026, starting at 5:00 PM IST. Candidates who registered for the counselling process between July 2 and July 9, 2026, will now be able to view their allocations.

Complete IISER 2026 Counselling Timeline

To ensure you do not miss any critical deadlines, here is the official breakdown of the first three crucial online counselling rounds:

Counselling Event / Round	Start Date & Time	Closing Date & Time
Round 1 Admission Offers	July 24, 2026 (5:00 PM)	July 28, 2026 (5:00 PM)
Round 2 Admission Offers	August 1, 2026 (5:00 PM)	August 5, 2026 (5:00 PM)
Round 3 Admission Offers	August 10, 2026 (5:00 PM)	August 13, 2026 (5:00 PM)

Note: The remaining rounds (up to 8 rounds are planned) will follow subsequently in August and September based on seat vacancy.

2026 Seat Matrix: What is at Stake?

This year, over 1.86 lakh aspirants competed across 736 centres for a highly coveted spot in premier research programs. A total of 2,343 seats are available across the seven distinct IISER campuses. This includes 2,043 seats dedicated to the flagship 5-year BS-MS Dual Degree, alongside 300 specialized BS and B.Tech engineering seats hosted primarily at IISER Bhopal.

Here is how the seats are split up across the campuses:

IISER Thiruvananthapuram: 320 seats
IISER Berhampur (Organizing Institute for 2026): 300 seats
IISER Bhopal: 300 (BS-MS) + 195 (B.Tech & BS Economic Sciences) = 495 seats
IISER Pune: 288 seats
IISER Kolkata: 280 (BS-MS) + 30 (Computational Data Sciences) = 310 seats
IISER Mohali: 275 seats
IISER Tirupati: 250 (BS-MS) + 50 (Economic & Statistical Sciences) = 300 seats

Understanding the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF)

If you receive a seat allocation offer during Round 1, you must act fast. To freeze or float your seat, you are required to pay the mandatory Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) within the round’s timeline window. Failure to clear this fee before the deadline will result in automatic cancellation of the admission offer.

The fee structure includes a combination of a refundable advance tuition fee and a non-refundable administrative fee:

General / EWS / OBC / OBC-NCL / PwD / Kashmiri Migrants: INR 35,000 total (includes a non-refundable INR 10,000 administrative fee).
SC / ST Categories: INR 17,500 total (includes a non-refundable INR 5,000 administrative fee).

National Science Toppers Celebrated

The release of the final merit ranks brought forward incredible academic achievements. While thousands qualified across the country, top honors were recorded across zonal and subject-wise lists via major research and academic assessment forums such as the national Mimamsa and core IAT channels.

The following exceptional students secured the highest scores in their respective zones and scientific subjects:

Subject Toppers: Snigdha Sharma, Shashvita Ratra, Aryan Sharma, and Aishwarik Day stood out at the top of the board for their flawless grasp of complex subject systems.
Zonal Leaders:
- Maharashtra Zone: Amla Patil, Anuj Sharma, Dhananjay Koshti, and Swaraj Joshi led the western tables.
- Odisha Zone (IISER Berhampur): Satvik Sahu, Anshu Kumari, Unnati Gupta, and Arnav Kumar dominated the eastern ranks.
- Punjab Zone (IISER Mohali): Preet Vidhuri, Aaryak Srivastava, Anisha Chaudhary, and Akarsh Bhatia claimed top honors.
- West Bengal Zone (IISER Kolkata): Trisha Mallick, Mandeep Mochi, and Tanmay Khirwal emerged as frontline achievers.

Critical Action Steps for Round 1

To ensure a smooth admission process starting July 24, keep the following workflow in mind:

1. Log In:

July 24 onwards.

Go to iiseradmission.in and log into the candidate portal using your unique credentials.

2. Review the Allotment Letter:

Check Details.

Carefully inspect your given campus allotment and download your official Round 1 offer letter.

3. Choose Freeze or Float:

Before July 28.

Select “Freeze” if you are fully satisfied with the campus or “Float” if you want to accept the seat but try for a higher-preference campus in Round 2.

4. Pay the SAF:

Deadline: July 28, 5:00 PM.

Pay the designated fee online (INR 35,000 or INR 17,500 depending on your category) to officially hold your place.

Make sure your original academic certificates, category certificates, and IAT rank cards are scanned and ready for online verification when requested. Keep a daily eye on the official portal so you do not miss any sudden updates.

Written by Simran

Simran is currently working as a Senior Content Writer at Findmycollege , where she creates engaging and research-driven learning resources for students. She has completed her Graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. With 4 years of experience in the EdTech industry, she has previously contributed to leading platforms like Leverage Edu and Aakash. Her expertise lies in simplifying Engineering and Medical entrance exam content to guide aspirants in their preparation journey. Beyond writing, Simran enjoys sketching, watching movies, and finding creative inspiration in everyday life.

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