Indian Institute of Science Education and Research will host the IISER admission counselling after the release of the result. IISER admission counselling is an online procedure which is followed by reporting at the allocated institute. The counselling process for IISER admission is common for all the three channels, namely Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojna (KVPY), State & Central Boards (SCB), and JEE Advanced.
IISER will allot seats to candidates on the basis of their merit (separate for three channels). Participation in the IISER admission counselling will require candidates to follow multiple steps such as:
- Payment of SAF (Seat Acceptance Fees)
- Choosing the freeze or float option
- Document verification
- Reporting at allotted college, etc.
Read this article to delve deeper into more details about IISER admission counselling 2021.
IISER Admission Counselling Schedule
Candidates must keep track of the IISER counselling schedule for all the three channels.
IISER Admission Counselling Schedule for KVPY Channel
| Event | Important Dates (KVPY) |
| Release of first-round IISER result | August 17, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze & float options | August 17, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (First Round) | August 21, 2021 |
| Release of the second round of IISER result | August 24, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze only options | August 24, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (Second Round) | August 28, 2021 |
| Withdrawal of SAF | September 8, 2021 |
| Reporting at the allotted institute | September 12, 2021 |
IISER Admission Counselling Schedule for SCB Channel
| Event | Important Dates |
| Release of first-round IISER result | August 19, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze & float options | August 19, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (First Round) | August 23, 2021 |
| Release of the second round of IISER result | August 26, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze & float options | August 26, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (Second Round) | August 30, 2021 |
| Release of the third round of IISER result | September 4, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze only options | September 4, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (Second Round) | September 7, 2021 |
| Withdrawal of SAF | September 8, 2021 |
| Release of the fourth and final round of seat allotment | September 9, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze only options | September 9, 2021 |
| Reporting at the allotted institute | September 12, 2021 |
| Closing for fourth-round SAF payment | September 13, 2021 |
IISER Admission Counselling Schedule for JEE Channel
| Event | Important Dates |
| Release of first round IISER result | September 4, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze only option | September 4, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (First Round) | September 7, 2021 |
| Withdrawal of SAF | September 8, 2021 |
| Release of the second and final round of IISER result | September 9, 2021 |
| Beginning of SAF with a freeze only options | September 9, 2021 |
| Reporting at the allotted institute | September 12, 2021 |
| Last date of SAF payment (Second Round) | September 13, 2021 |
IISER Admission Counselling – Key Highlights
- The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research has the sole authority to conduct the IISER admission counselling
- Candidates have to pay an amount as the ‘Seat Acceptance Fee’ after they find their names in seat allotment list
- IISER considers the campus and course preferences filled by candidates in the application form. However, the merit position of candidates is a crucial factor in seat allotment.
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research will administer the IISER admission counselling in multiple rounds (depending on the seats available after each round)
- Unoccupied seats for admission via KVPY and JEE channel will be merged into seats reserved for SCB channel.
IISER Admission Counselling – Channel Wise Seat Weightage
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research has allocated a certain percentage of seats for each of the three admission channels. The channel-wise seat weightage for admission at IISER is as follows.
Channel wise Seat Weightage
| Channel | Seat Weightage |
| IISER admission through KVPY and JEE channel | 25% |
| IISER admission through SCB channel | 75% |
IISER Admission Counselling – Channel Wise Rounds
Although the number of rounds in IISER counselling depends on the number of seats available for admission through a particular channel, IISER provides an indicative map of the number of counselling rounds for admission through each channel of IISER.
The tentative number of counselling rounds for each channel of admission is as follows.
IISER Admission Counselling – Number of Rounds
| Channel | Number of Rounds* |
| SCB | 4 |
| KVPY | 2 |
| IIT – JEE (JEE Advanced) | 2 |
*The actual number of rounds may vary from the number stated in the table above as per the available seats after each round.
IISER Admission Counselling – Options Available
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research will shortlist the qualifying candidates for seat allotment. Shortlisted candidates have to indicate their interest for the allotted seats. In order to indicate their interest, candidates will have two major options to choose from (irrespective of the channel of admission) during the IISER admission counselling.
The options available through IISER admission counselling are as follows:
- Freeze – This option comes into play when a candidate is satisfied with the offered seat. Candidates who choose this option will not be able to participate in the subsequent round(s) of IISER admission counselling.
- Float – In case a candidate is satisfied with the allotment made to him/ her, but still wishes to wait for further counselling rounds, he can exercise the ‘float’ option.
IISER Admission Counselling – Round Wise Options Available
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research does not provide both the options (freeze & float) in all rounds of IISER admission counselling. The table below mentions the channel-wise available options during IISER admission counselling.
Channel-Wise Options Available in IISER Admission Counselling
| Round | SCB Channel | KVPY Channel | JEE Channel |
| Round 1 | Freeze and Float | Freeze and Float | Freeze only |
| Round 2 | Freeze and Float | Freeze only | Freeze only |
| Round 3 | Freeze only | – | – |
| Round 4 | Freeze only | – | – |
IISER Admission Counselling – Steps
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research will conduct the IISER admission counselling in five major steps. The steps involved in IISER admission counselling 2021 are:
Step 1 – Release of IISER result (Seat allotment result)
Step 2 – Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) Payment
Step 3 – Exercising Freeze/Float options
Step 4 – Reporting at the allotted institute
Step 5 – Payment of IISER admission fee
IISER Admission Counselling – Step-wise Procedure
Candidates need to go through some common steps during the IISER admission counselling, irrespective of the channel of admission. The stepwise procedure for IISER admission counselling is as follows.
Step 1 – Release of IISER Seat Allotment Result
- On the basis of campus preference, reservation policy and the merit of the candidate, IISER releases a channel-wise seat allotment list for all the counselling rounds.
- Candidates can visit the official website to check the IISER seat allotment result.
- Candidates can search their hall ticket number/application number in the IISER seat allotment result to know whether they are shortlisted or not.
- Shortlisted candidates are eligible for the further counselling process.
Step 2 – Payment of Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF)
- All the candidates who are eligible as per the IISER seat allotment list receive an offer letter (with SAF mentioned on it) once they access their individual IISER dashboard.
- Afterwards, they have to pay the Seat Acceptance Fee to choose between the freeze or float options.
- Candidates can only pay the SAF in an online mode.
Category Wise Seat Acceptance Fee
| Category | Seat Acceptance Fee | ||
| SAF | Non-Refundable Administrative Fee | Total | |
| General/EWS/OBC-NCL | Rs. 25,000 | Rs. 10,000 | Rs. 35,000 |
| SC/ST/PwD/KM | Rs. 12,500 | Rs. 10,000 | Rs. 22,500 |
Step 3 – Exercising Freeze and Float Options
- Exercising freeze and float options depends upon the channel of admission and the round of the IISER admission counselling (as stated above).
- Candidates are eligible to choose the options only after they pay the SAF.
- Choosing the freeze option will indicate that a candidate is satisfied with the allotted seat and does not wish to participate in the subsequent rounds of IISER admission counselling.
- Exercising float option will signify that a candidate is satisfied with the allotment. However, he/she still wishes to participate in the subsequent round(s) to get a better allotment as per his/her preference.
Step 4 – Reporting at Allotted Institute
- After the completion of all the rounds of IISER admission counselling, candidates have to report at the allotted institute.
- IISER officials will verify the documents of the candidates and grant provisional admission.
Step 5 – Payment of Admission Fee
- Candidates who get provisional admission have to pay the requisite admission fee.
- The SAF paid by the candidate is adjusted in the IISER admission fee.
- IISER grants a final admission to only those candidates who pay the admission fee for the course.
IISER Admission Counselling – Subsequent Round Eligibility
Candidates are eligible for the subsequent round(s) of IISER admission counselling only if:
- The SAF has been paid for the allotment
- They have exercised the float option instead of freeze option in the prior round of IISER counselling
- They have not withdrawn the SAF
- No allotment was made in the first round
IISER Admission Counselling – Withdrawal of SAF
Before reporting at the allotted institute, IISER provides an opportunity to all the candidates to withdraw the SAF if they are not satisfied with the offer. Candidates can log in to the IISER admission counselling portal and choose the relevant option for withdrawal of their Seat Acceptance Fee. IISER will not deduct any amount if a candidate exercises this option before the stipulated date. However, candidates may have to bear the deduction of additional bank charges (if any).
IISER Admission Counselling – Document Verification
At the time of reporting at the institute, candidates have to go through the document verification process. The list of documents required on the counselling day is as follows.
- Admit card of JEE Advanced/KVPY scholarship exam/IAT
- Class 10th certificate or Birth certificate (as a proof of date of birth)
- Class 12th mark sheet and certificate
- Print out of the offer letter
- SAF transaction receipt
- Scorecard of JEE Advanced 2021/KVPY scholarship exam
- Multiple copies of passport size photograph
- Category certificate (if claiming reservation against the same)
- Conduct certificate
- Transfer certificate
Note: Candidates must carry at least two copies of the above-mentioned documents along with the originals.
IISER Admission Counselling – Institute-Wise Seat Capacity
One of the major factors during allotment of seats is the seat intake capacity. Candidates can check the table below to know the institute-wise seats available for admission.
Institute Wise Seat Intake for BS-MS Dual Degree
| Name of the Institute | Number of Seats |
| IISER Berhampur | 185 |
| IISER Bhopal | 252 |
| IISER Kolkata | 233 |
| IISER Mohali | 239 |
| IISER Pune | 280 |
| IISER Thiruvananthapuram | 280 |
| IISER Tirupati | 193 |
Seat Intake for BS Degree at IISER Bhopal
| Course Name | Number of Seats |
| BS (Engineering Sciences) | 73 |
| BS (Economic Sciences) | 42 |
IISER Admission Counselling – Reservation Policy
Another factor that influences the seat allotment process at IISER is the reservation policy prevailing at the institutes. The table below mentions the reservation criteria for IISER admission 2021.
Reservation Criteria for IISER Admission
| Category | Reservation |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| OBC Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Persons with Disability (PwD) | 5% |
| Kashmiri Migrants (Supernumerary) | 3 seats |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | Up to 10% |
IISER Admission Counselling – Courses Offered
IISER will consider the course and campus preference of the candidates while allotting the seats. Candidates can check the campus-wise courses available under IISER admission below.
IISER Berhampur
- BS-MS in Biological Sciences
- BS-MS in Chemical Sciences
- BS-MS in Mathematical Sciences
- BS-MS in Physical Sciences
IISER Kolkata
- BS-MS in Biological Sciences
- BS-MS in Chemical Sciences
- BS-MS in Mathematical Sciences
- BS-MS in Physical Sciences
- BS-MS in Earth Sciences
IISER Pune
- BS-MS in Biology
- BS-MS in Chemistry
- BS-MS in Mathematics
- BS-MS in Physics
- BS-MS in Earth and Climate Sciences
IISER Bhopal
- BS-MS in Biological Sciences
- BS-MS in Chemistry
- BS-MS in Mathematics
- BS-MS in Physics
- BS-MS in Earth and Environmental Sciences
- BS in Chemical Engineering
- BS in Data Science and Engineering
- BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- BS in Economic Sciences
IISER Mohali
- BS-MS in Biological Sciences
- BS-MS in Chemical Sciences
- BS-MS in Mathematical Sciences
- BS-MS in Physical Sciences
IISER Thiruvananthapuram
- BS-MS in Biological Sciences
- BS-MS in Chemical Sciences
- BS-MS in Mathematical Sciences
- BS-MS in Physical Sciences
- BS-MS Integrated Interdisciplinary in
- Biological Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Data Sciences
IISER Tirupati
- BS-MS in Science
IISER Admission Counselling – FAQs
✔️ What is the mode of IISER admission counselling 2021?
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research will conduct the IISER admission counselling in online mode. However, after the online rounds, candidates have to report at the allotted institute for document verification and fee payment.
✔️ What does ‘SAF’ mean in regard to IISER counselling?
SAF refers to the Seat Acceptance Fee. Candidates have to pay the SAF as per the schedule after they find their application number shortlisted in seat allotment list. SAF is adjusted in the admission fee at the institute.
✔️ I haven't been offered admission in the current round. Will I be considered for the subsequent round(s) of IISER counselling?
IISER will allot a seat depending upon the rank and the seat vacancy in a particular channel. Candidates must note that the number of rounds will depend on the seats available for admission.
✔️ I have paid the SAF once in a prior round of allotment. Do I need to pay SAF for the subsequent rounds?
No. Candidates only need to pay the Seat Acceptance Fee once.
✔️ Can I exercise the float option in the last round of IISER admission counselling?
No. Candidates will be able to exercise the float option only in the first and second round of counselling through SCB channel. On the other hand, the first round of admission through KVPY channel will have a float option. Candidates participating in the IISER admission counselling via JEE channel will not have an option for float in either of the rounds.
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