JEE Advanced 2023: IIT Seats Remain Vacant Even After Six Rounds of Counselling

The pursuit of an engineering seat in the esteemed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) remains highly competitive, with JEE candidates dedicating relentless effort. However, for the first time in five years, even after six rounds of counselling by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA), a few undergraduate seats in IITs remain unoccupied.

Seat Allocation Status

Out of 17,385 seats available across 23 IITs, 17,340 have been filled, including 3,422 female candidates. This leaves 45 seats still vacant, signaling a departure from the usual trend.

Historical Data Insights

For the past five years, the number of allocated seats at the conclusion of JoSAA has consistently surpassed the initially available seats. Last year, while there were 16,598 seats initially, the allocated count soared to 16,635. Similarly, in 2022, from an initial 16,232 seats, the final count post-counselling stood at 16,296.

Reasons for Additional Seats

Professor Biswupad Mandal, Chairman of JEE Advanced 2023, clarified that this discrepancy arises due to the creation of supernumerary seats during the admission process. This occurs when tie situations for certain seats attract a higher number of applicants, leading to more allocated seats than the original available count.

Potential Factors for Vacancies

Nonetheless, some IIT branches might still have vacancies. Post-pandemic, non-IIT alternatives appear to be gaining traction among students. Additionally, some candidates opt out of JoSAA counselling if they perceive difficulty securing admission to their preferred course or IIT, preferring alternative non-IIT institutes instead.