NIFT 2026 Round 2 Counselling Dates, Eligibility and Round 1 Rejected Seats

NIFT 2026 Round 2 Counselling choice filling is live right now and closes on July 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM; the Round 2 seat allotment result will be declared on July 7, 2026.

After Round 1 seat allotment was released on June 27, 2026 and the acceptance deadline was extended to July 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM, all seats that were not confirmed by students have been pooled back for Round 2. If you declined your Round 1 allotment, want to upgrade to a preferred program or campus, or skipped Round 1 altogether and qualify for the Spot Round, here is everything you need to know about the Round 2 schedule, eligibility criteria, and the fate of seats rejected in Round 1.

• Round 2 choice filling window: July 3–5, 2026 (closes 11:59 PM tonight).
• Round 2 seat allotment result: July 7, 2026.
• All seats not accepted in Round 1 are automatically carried forward and available in Round 2.
• Students who accepted a Round 1 seat can participate in Round 2 for an upgrade — their current seat is safe unless they pay the fee for a new Round 2 allotment.
• Spot Round counselling allotment begins July 19, 2026 for any remaining vacant seats.
• Last date for seat withdrawal requests: July 17, 2026.

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NIFT 2026 Round 2 Counselling Schedule

The complete NIFT 2026 counselling schedule with confirmed dates across all rounds is given below. Today is July 5, 2026 — Round 2 choice filling closes tonight at 11:59 PM.

All dates are as per the NIFT 2026 official counselling schedule published on nift.admissions.nic.in. Students should monitor the portal for any revisions closer to each deadline.

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Eligibility for NIFT 2026 Round 2 Counselling

Eligibility for Round 2 depends on how you engaged with Round 1. The table below breaks down who can participate:

Important: Students who accepted a Round 1 seat and choose not to participate in Round 2 retain their allotment automatically. Round 2 participation is completely optional for them.

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What Happens to Seats Rejected in Round 1?

When a student receives a Round 1 seat allotment but does not pay the confirmation fee by the deadline, that seat is treated as surrendered and rejected. Here is what the system does with it:

• All surrendered and unaccepted Round 1 seats are pooled back into the Round 2 seat matrix and become available for fresh choice filling immediately when Round 2 opens.
• Any student eligible for Round 2 can list these seats as preferences — the allotment algorithm treats them identically to originally available seats.
• The total number of seats visible in Round 2 choice filling therefore equals the original unfilled seats plus every seat rejected in Round 1.
• If a Round 2 allottee also does not pay the acceptance fee, that seat moves into the Spot Round starting July 19, 2026.
• Seats still unfilled after the Spot Round may be offered through institute-level admission at the respective NIFT campus, subject to a separate official notification from NIFT.

In practice, high-demand seats such as B.Des (Fashion Design) at the Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru campuses are rarely rejected in Round 1 and are unlikely to reappear in Round 2. Less-contested programs or campuses are where Round 2 availability is more commonly seen. If your target seat falls in a high-demand category, check the live seat matrix on the portal as soon as Round 2 opens and fill choices immediately.

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How to Fill Choices for NIFT 2026 Round 2

The Round 2 choice filling process runs on the same portal as Round 1. Since the window closes tonight at 11:59 PM, act without delay:

1. Visit nift.admissions.nic.in and log in with your NIFT 2026 application number and password.
2. Navigate to the Counselling section and open Round 2 Choice Filling / Modification.
3. Browse the list of available program–campus combinations and the seats remaining in each.
4. Add all combinations you are willing to accept, arranged from most preferred to least preferred. Include as many valid options as possible — a longer preference list means better allotment chances.
5. Lock your choices before 11:59 PM tonight. Choices left unlocked are not processed by the system.
6. Check the Round 2 allotment result on July 7 by logging in to the portal. If allotted a seat, pay the seat-acceptance fee within the stipulated window to confirm your admission.

Tip for upgrade participants: If you already hold a confirmed Round 1 seat and are filing Round 2 choices for an upgrade, list only the combinations that are genuinely better than your current allotment. If you are allotted a new seat in Round 2 and pay the acceptance fee, your Round 1 seat is automatically released back to the pool.

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Documents Required for NIFT 2026 Counselling

Document upload is not required during online choice filling. Physical verification takes place at the allotted NIFT campus when you report for joining. Keep the following ready in advance: