DASA 2027: Eligibility, Registration, Counselling, Cutoff and NRI Admission in NITs

DASA 2027 (Direct Admission of Students Abroad) is a central government scheme that enables NRI, OCI, PIO, and Foreign National students to secure seats in B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Plan programmes at NITs, IIITs, SPAs, IIEST Shibpur, and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) in India through supernumerary seats. The scheme is managed by the DASA Committee through the official portal dasanit.org and uses the JEE Main 2027 All India Rank (AIR) as the sole merit basis for all seat allotments. The DASA 2026 cycle concluded in August 2026 with 6,118 supernumerary seats allotted across 30+ NITs and other institutes; the 2027 cycle is yet to begin and is expected to follow a similar schedule starting with the release of the official brochure around May-June 2027.

• JEE Main 2027: A valid JEE Main 2027 AIR is mandatory for DASA 2027. JEE Main 2027 is expected in two sessions — January 2027 and April 2027. In 2026, Session 1 ran January 22–30 and Session 2 ran April 2–10. JEE Main 2027 Session 1 registration is expected to open by October–November 2026, so you should plan to register as soon as NTA announces it.
• DASA 2027 Brochure: The official DASA 2027 Information Brochure is expected around May–June 2027. In 2026, the brochure was released on June 17, 2026. It will confirm eligibility criteria, nationality sub-categories, updated fee amounts, participating institutes, and the full counselling schedule.
• DASA 2027 Registration: Based on the DASA 2026 schedule, registration is expected to open in the last week of July 2027. In 2026, the window ran from July 28 to August 3 — just seven days. Keep your JEE Main 2027 scorecard, passport, OCI/PIO documents, and Class 12 mark sheets ready well before the window opens.
• DASA 2027 Seat Allotment: Round 1 seat allotment is expected in the first week of August 2027, with Round 2 in the second week of August 2027. In 2026, Round 1 results came on August 6 and Round 2 on August 12. A total of 6,000+ supernumerary seats across 30+ NITs, IIITs, and other institutes are expected to be available.

What is DASA 2027?

DASA stands for Direct Admission of Students Abroad. It is a scheme launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to give overseas Indian-origin students and foreign nationals a direct pathway to engineering and architecture education at India’s premier government-funded technical institutions. The scheme operates outside the regular JEE-based quota — all DASA seats are supernumerary, meaning they are created over and above the regular sanctioned intake at each institute. This ensures that DASA admissions do not displace students admitted through the mainstream JEE process.

The scheme is administered by the DASA Committee, which is currently hosted at NIT Warangal. All undergraduate DASA admissions are handled through the official portal dasanit.org. Every year, the DASA Committee releases a detailed Information Brochure covering eligibility rules, fee amounts, participating institutes, and the counselling schedule.

From the 2021–22 academic year onwards, DASA replaced its earlier SAT-based admission system with a JEE Main rank-based merit system. Now, a valid JEE Main All India Rank (AIR) is mandatory for every DASA applicant — the same rank list that NTA declares after each JEE Main session. This change brought DASA in line with the mainstream admission process. It also means NRI and OCI students no longer need to prepare separately for the SAT and can use their JEE Main results directly for DASA.

Here is a quick summary of DASA 2027:

Source: DASA Official Portal — dasanit.org

DASA 2027 Important Dates

DASA 2027 dates are not yet announced. The official DASA 2027 schedule will be published in the Information Brochure, which is expected around May–June 2027. The table below shows expected dates for DASA 2027 based on the DASA 2026 schedule, where registration opened on July 28, 2026 and Round 2 allotment came out on August 12, 2026. Since today (September 26, 2026) is before any 2027 cycle event, all rows below are upcoming.

All dates in the table below are expected estimates based on the DASA 2026 timeline. Official DASA 2027 dates will be confirmed at dasanit.org when the brochure is released.

Candidates who appeared for Class 12 in 2027 and are provisionally admitted under DASA must submit their final passing certificates and mark sheets by the last date specified in the brochure (typically September 30 of the admission year).

How to Apply for DASA 2027

The DASA 2027 application is fully online. There is no offline application or physical centre visit for registration. The application process at dasanit.org runs in a very short window — typically around 7 days — so all your documents must be ready before the window opens. Missing the deadline means waiting for the next annual cycle.

Step-by-Step DASA 2027 Application Process

• Step 1 — Appear for JEE Main 2027: Get a valid JEE Main 2027 AIR by appearing in Session 1 (January 2027) or Session 2 (April 2027). Without a current JEE Main rank, you cannot register for DASA 2027.
• Step 2 — Read the DASA 2027 Brochure: Once the brochure is released (expected May–June 2027), read it carefully. Check that your nationality category qualifies, verify the PCM percentage requirement, and note the exact fee amounts and document checklist for your sub-category.
• Step 3 — Register Online at dasanit.org: During the registration window (expected late July 2027), create a new account at dasanit.org. Enter your personal details, select your nationality sub-category (Foreign National / OCI / PIO / NRI / CIWG), and fill in your JEE Main 2027 registration number and AIR.
• Step 4 — Upload Documents: Scan and upload all required documents. The typical checklist for DASA includes:
  • Valid passport (student's)
  • OCI or PIO card (if applicable)
  • Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets and passing certificates
  • JEE Main 2027 scorecard and rank card
  • Proof of study abroad: school transcripts or mark sheets showing 2 years of study in a foreign country, including Class XI and XII (for NRI category)
  • For CIWG: parent's employment certificate, work permit, and visa from the Gulf country
  • Passport-size photograph (digital, recent)
• Step 5 — Pay Registration Fee: Pay the non-refundable registration fee of USD 300 online through the DASA portal. This fee applies to all categories (DASA, DASA-SAARC, and CIWG) and is not returned under any circumstances.
• Step 6 — Document Verification: After submission, a Document Verifying Officer (DVO) assigned to your application will verify your uploaded documents online. If the DVO raises a query, you must respond and resubmit within the deadline. Applications with unresolved queries are rejected.
• Step 7 — Choice Filling: Once your application is approved, fill in your institute-programme preferences during the choice filling window. You can add as many preferences as you want in order of priority. Choices are locked before allotment runs.
• Step 8 — Seat Allotment and Acceptance: Seats are allotted based on your JEE Main AIR, your nationality sub-category, and your choice list. After each round, log in, check your allotment, and accept or reject within the deadline. You can keep choices open for Round 2 to upgrade.
• Step 9 — Report to Institute: After final allotment, report to the allotted institute in person with all original documents within the reporting dates. Pay the first-semester tuition fee directly to the institute at the time of reporting.

The DASA registration window is extremely short — only about 7 days based on DASA 2026. If you miss the window, there is no extension. Plan your document collection and JEE Main preparation well in advance.

DASA 2027 Seat Matrix and Participating Institutes

All DASA 2027 seats are supernumerary — they are created above the regular sanctioned intake and do not reduce the number of seats available to domestically admitted students. In DASA 2026, a total of 6,118 seats were available across all participating institutes, rising from 5,589 seats in the previous cycle. This consistent growth reflects increasing demand for DASA-route admissions.

Each participating institute sets aside around 15% of its total intake as DASA supernumerary seats, and an additional 5% as CIWG supernumerary seats. So an NIT with a regular intake of 600 students per batch typically has around 90 DASA seats and 30 CIWG seats available each year over and above those 600.

Types of Institutes Participating in DASA 2027

The branch-wise and institute-wise seat matrix for DASA 2027 will be released as part of the official brochure (expected May–June 2027). You can also track the seat matrix at dasanit.org. The list can change year to year as institutes add or drop specific programmes from the DASA pool.

Source: DASA Seat Matrix — dasanit.org

Top NITs and Institutes Through DASA 2027

DASA 2027 gives you access to all 31 NITs along with 25+ IIITs, three SPAs, IIEST Shibpur, and other government-funded institutes. Here are the most popular institutes among DASA applicants, based on past trends and JEE Main rank requirements:

The institutes above consistently attract the highest DASA application volumes. Admission to CSE at top NITs like NIT Trichy and NIT Warangal through DASA requires a strong JEE Main rank. You can use DASA college predictor tools (based on the previous year's cutoffs) to estimate your chances. The full list of participating institutes with course-wise seat counts will be in the DASA 2027 brochure when released.

DASA 2027 Preparation Tips

Since DASA 2027 admissions are fully based on JEE Main 2027 rank, your entire preparation strategy should focus on maximising your JEE Main score. Here are specific tips for DASA aspirants preparing in the months before the January 2027 session:

• Register for JEE Main 2027 Session 1 Early: NTA is expected to open JEE Main 2027 Session 1 registration around October–November 2026. Register as soon as the window opens. Appearing in Session 1 gives you a second chance in Session 2 (April 2027) if you want to improve your rank.
• Focus on NCERT First: JEE Main has a strong NCERT base, especially in Chemistry. Finish all NCERT textbooks for Class 11 and 12 in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics before moving to advanced problem books. Many DASA aspirants studying abroad underestimate this and lose easy marks.
• Prioritise Mathematics: Mathematics carries 100 marks in JEE Main Paper 1 and has the highest impact on AIR. Focus on calculus, coordinate geometry, algebra, and probability. A score above 95 percentile in Mathematics alone can significantly improve your overall rank.
• Take Full-Length Mock Tests Regularly: Take at least one full JEE Main mock test per week in the three months before the exam. Use NTA's official practice platform for free CBT mock tests. Time management across the 3-hour exam is a skill you need to build through repetition.
• Understand Negative Marking: JEE Main has a −1 penalty for wrong MCQ answers. Do not guess randomly. If you are unsure of an MCQ, it is better to leave it unattempted. Numerical value questions have no negative marking — attempt all of them.
• Prepare Documents Well Ahead: Start collecting and scanning your passport, OCI/PIO card, Class 10/12 marksheets, and proof of foreign study (for NRI category) months before the DASA registration window opens. Getting transcripts from foreign schools can take 4–8 weeks in some countries.
• Research Institutes and Branches Now: Do not wait until the choice filling window to decide your preferences. Research placement records, campus facilities, and branch offerings at your target NITs now. Go into choice filling with a clear, prioritised list so you can submit accurately within the short window.
• Appear in Both JEE Main Sessions: Appearing in Session 1 (January) and Session 2 (April) gives you two attempts. NTA records the best session rank for your final AIR. There is no penalty for appearing in both sessions, and the additional attempt can move your rank significantly.