21,000 BTech seats still empty: WBJEE institutes begin offline counselling
By TUF News Desk · Published 16 October 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Twenty-one thousand BTech seats are sitting empty in West Bengal, and the state’s engineering colleges now have two weeks to fill them.
The West Bengal higher education department has allowed a one-time relaxation: institutes can run decentralised counselling at the campus level, online or offline, to fill seats left vacant after the earlier rounds. All admissions must be completed by October 31, 2026.
The move follows the state’s first fully online decentralised counselling. After three rounds of central e-counselling, the WBJEE board ran the decentralised rounds on its Decentralised Counselling Admission Portal (DCAP) in two phases, entirely online for the first time. Higher education minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said 27,599 seats had been filled through e-counselling and the online decentralised rounds, about 11,870 more than last year. Still, roughly 21,000 of the 48,683 BTech seats stayed vacant.
Students and state-run universities had pushed for the change. Vice-chancellors of Jadavpur University and the University of Calcutta wrote to the higher education department asking for permission to hold offline counselling, and students made the same case on social media.
What the institutes must do now
Colleges with vacant seats in engineering, technology, pharmacy and architecture courses must publish course-wise vacancy details, eligibility criteria, admission procedures and their own schedules on their websites. They must also send a copy of the vacancy notice to the State Higher Education Department and the WBJEE board.
Institutes can accept applications through a dedicated online portal or an official email address, and offline applications are allowed too. Allotment will follow WBJEE merit ranks, the candidate’s preferences and seat availability. The WBJEE board will set up a common online portal where institutes must record the details of every candidate admitted through this process.
Individual notifications are going out today
The shift is already visible on campus noticeboards. On October 16, participating institutes began releasing individual notifications for the offline decentralised counselling round.
Jadavpur University has set the registration deadline for its decentralised counselling at 11 AM on October 23. The University of Calcutta has opened its application process, with the final deadline at 2 PM on October 27.
What candidates should do
Candidates still without a seat should check the official websites of the institutes they prefer for vacancy notices, since each college is issuing its own notification with its own deadlines. Applications must reach the institute through the channel named in its notice. Keep your admission documents ready before you apply; our admission documents checklist covers the usual paperwork.
The WBJEE board’s announcement is on the official WBJEE portal. Admissions under the decentralised process close on October 31, and every admission must be recorded on the board’s portal by then.
Frequently asked questions
How many WBJEE 2026 seats are still vacant?
Around 21,000 BTech seats out of 48,683 stayed vacant after the online e-counselling and DCAP phases this year.
How does the offline decentralised counselling work?
Each institute runs its own admission process, online or offline, publishes its vacancy list and deadlines, and admits candidates by merit rank and preference. All admissions must be completed by October 31, 2026.
Which institutes are taking part?
Any institute with vacant seats in engineering, technology, pharmacy or architecture courses, including Jadavpur University (deadline October 23, 11 AM) and the University of Calcutta (deadline October 27, 2 PM).
Where do I find my institute’s notification?
On the institute’s official website, through the channel it names (portal, email or offline). A copy of every vacancy notice also goes to the State Higher Education Department and the WBJEE board.
Frequently asked questions
How many WBJEE 2026 seats are still vacant?
Around 21,000 BTech seats out of 48,683 stayed vacant after the online e-counselling and DCAP phases this year.
How does the offline decentralised counselling work?
Each institute runs its own admission process, online or offline, publishes its vacancy list and deadlines, and admits candidates by merit rank and preference. All admissions must be completed by October 31, 2026.
Which institutes are taking part?
Any institute with vacant seats in engineering, technology, pharmacy or architecture courses, including Jadavpur University (deadline October 23, 11 AM) and the University of Calcutta (deadline October 27, 2 PM).
Where do I find my institute's notification?
On the institute's official website, through the channel it names (portal, email or offline). A copy of every vacancy notice also goes to the State Higher Education Department and the WBJEE board.
Sources: UniList, Shiksha, The Times of India