Institutes Covered In DASA

What is DASA Scheme?

DASA stands for Direct Admission of Students Abroad. It is an admission scheme launched by the Government of India (previously under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, now Ministry of Education) for NRI students, including those living in the USA and Middle East, along with OCIs, PIOs, and Foreign Nationals.

All DASA/CIWG Participating College List

Under the DASA Scheme, eligible NRI/OCI/PIO/Foreign National students can seek admission into undergraduate Engineering, Architecture, and Planning programs at top Indian technical institutions such as NITs, IIITs, CFTIs, and SPAs. Note: IITs do not participate under DASA.

Since 2021, admissions under DASA are strictly based on JEE Main Rank and Percentile (SAT is no longer used). For 2025–26 and onward, this remains applicable, including for NRI students residing in the USA and Middle East.

DASA/CIWG counselling and administration have been coordinated in recent admission cycles by NIT Karnataka, Surathkal.

(The latest official coordinating institute for 2025–26 should be confirmed from the next DASA brochure.)

The scheme provides NRI students, especially those from the Gulf region (UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia),  reserved CIWG seats, and offers the flexibility to apply to courses like B.Tech, B.E., B.Arch, and B.Plan across participating centrally-funded institutions

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There are 29 NITs, 4 IIITs, 3 SPAs and 14 CFTIs under the DASA Scheme. The list is as follows:

The DASA/CIWG scheme offers UG admissions for eligible NRI/OCI/PIO students (including those in the USA and Middle East) across 29 NITs, 11 IIITs, 3 SPAs and 14 CFTIs. These institutes provide DASA quota seats with separate CIWG allocations.

Will you be applying for DASA / CIWG 2021 or years after that? You must then prepare for JEE Main.

DASA 2022-23: Programs Offered Through DASA Scheme

Eligible NRI/OCI/PIO students, including those living in the USA and Middle East, can pursue a wide range of undergraduate programs under the DASA/CIWG Scheme across participating institutes. These include core and specialized branches such as:

• Aerospace Engineering

• Bio-Engineering

• Bio-Medical

• Biotechnology

• B. Arch, B. Plan

• B.Tech + M.Tech in Chemical Engineering

• B.Tech Ceramics & M.Tech in Industrial Ceramics

• B.Tech + M.Tech in Mining

• B.Tech + M.Tech in Metallurgical & Materials

• B.Tech ECE + M.Tech ECE (Spl: Communications Systems)

• B.Tech ECE + M.Tech ECE (SPl: VLSI Design)

• B.Tech ME + M.Tech ME (Spl: Advanced Manufacturing)

• B.Tech CSE + M.Tech CSE (Spl: System Design)

• Ceramic Engineering

• Chemical Engineering

• Chemical Engineering with MBS

• Civil Engineering

• Computer Engineering

• Computer Science Engineering

• Computer Science & Applied Mathematics

• Computer Science & Design, Engineering Physics

• Environmental Engineering

• Electronics and Communication Engineering

• Electronics Systems Engineering

• Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering

• Electronics & Telecomm Engineering

• Electrical & Electronics

• Electrical and Electronics Engineering

• Five Years Dual Degree in CSE

• Five Years Integrated M.Sc in Chemistry

• Five Years Integrated M.Sc in Mathematics

• Five Years Integrated M.Sc in Physics

• Food Processing Engineering

• Food Engineering Technology

• Food Technology

• Industrial Design

• Industrial & Production

• Information & Communication Technology

• Information Technology & Social Sciences

• Instrument & Control Engineering

• Manufacturing Engineering

• Material Science & Metallurgical Engineering

• Mathematics & Computing

• Mechanical Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering (Spl: Automotive Engineering)

• Mechanical Engineering (Spl: Smart Manufacturing)

• Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing Engineering)

• Mechanical Engineering (Welding Technology)

• Metallurgical Engineering

• Metallurgy & Material Engineering

• Mining Engineerin

• Petroleum Engineering

• Polymer Science & Chemical Technology

• Production Engineering

• Production & Industrial Engineering

• Software Engineering

• Textile Technology

For further details with the Stream check on: DASA UG: Participating Institutions

Looks great and love to pursue graduation here???

Then let’s check the eligibility criteria.

DASA UG Eligibility Criteria

If you’re an NRI/PIO/OCI student living in the USA or Middle East and unsure about your eligibility for DASA/CIWG admission, here is a quick checklist based on the latest rules. Always cross-verify with the official DASA brochure for 2025–26.

Age Eligibility

Earlier cycles referenced a date-of-birth requirement such as “Born on or after Oct 1, 1995”.
This age clause must be re-verified in the latest 2025–26 brochure, because the old date is no longer relevant based on current admission years.

Valid proof is required through a government-issued Birth Certificate or Secondary Education Board document.

Academic Eligibility

• Candidate must have passed Grade 12 or equivalent from a recognized educational system acceptable under AIU equivalence norms.
• Must have studied Mathematics, Physics and one subject from Chemistry / Biology / Biotechnology / Computer Science in Grades 11 and 12.
• Earlier DASA criteria specified a minimum 60% aggregate or 6.5 CGPA (on 10-point scale).
• Confirm if this 60% / 6.5 CGPA rule still applies for 2025–26 when the new brochure is released.

JEE Main Requirement

DASA/CIWG admissions are based on JEE Main Rank and Percentile only.
SAT is no longer valid.

Earlier documents that mention “minimum JEE Main score of 180+” are outdated and not applicable now.
There is no fixed JEE score requirement; merit is determined through JEE Main percentile, AIR, closing ranks, and counselling seat availability.score directly to the DASA conducting institute from the NTA account.

Residential Eligibility

All Foreign Nationals, OCIs, PIOs and NRIs, including those living in the USA and Middle East are eligible for DASA/CIWG admissions if they meet academic requirements and submit a valid JEE Main rank.

Earlier DASA guidelines required that an NRI/OCI/PIO student must have completed Grade 11 and Grade 12 from a foreign school to qualify as a DASA/CIWG applicant.
This condition must be re-verified in the official 2025–26 brochure, as minor wording revisions may appear each cycle.

Students belonging to the Gulf / Middle East region listed below may qualify under CIWG, subject to documentary proof of parent employment there:

• Bahrain
• Iran
• Iraq
• Oman
• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
  

CIWG applicants who do not secure seats under CIWG may still be considered under the General DASA quota during counselling. This benefit remains an important advantage for eligible Gulf-based NRIs.

What’s CIWG?

CIWG stands for Children of Indian Workers in the Gulf. It is a sub-category under the DASA scheme for NRI/OCI/PIO students whose parent is employed in approved Gulf / Middle-East countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Iran and Iraq. Eligible applicants (including students living in the USA whose parent works in one of these Gulf nations) must submit valid proof such as parent employment letter, Gulf work permit, visa, or company certificate.

Earlier references stated that around 1/3rd of the total DASA seats are earmarked for CIWG candidates, with the remaining 2/3rd allocated to Non-CIWG applicants.
Exact total seat count “3913” and CIWG ratio must be re-verified from the latest 2025-26 DASA seat-matrix and brochure.

Students applying under CIWG should also review the latest fee structure and eligibility terms once the official DASA 2025-26 notification is released. 

DASA/CIWG 2022: Fee Structure

Looking for the complete DASA / CIWG fee structure? Here’s a quick guide for NRI students, especially those living in the USA and Middle East, to understand the latest tuition and registration costs under the DASA/CIWG admission scheme.

Earlier cycles included a fixed registration fee and different tuition amounts for CIWG and Non-CIWG applicants.
Exact fee amounts for 2025–26 must be verified from the official brochure and seat-matrix notice, as periodic revisions may apply.

CIWG-eligible candidates usually pay tuition at the same rate as Indian resident students, while Non-CIWG DASA applicants follow the standard international fee structure.

TestprepKart has mentioned each detail regarding DASA fee structure below. Check the below tables to get to know the entire fee you are about to pay for 8 semesters.  

CIWG 2022 Fee Structure

The fee structure mentioned below: 

DASA (Non-SAARC) 2022 Fee Structure

DASA (SAARC) 2022 Fee Structure

FAQs

Q1. What is the DASA Scheme for UG admissions?
The DASA Scheme offers UG admission to NRI/OCI/PIO/Foreign National students, including those living in the USA and Middle East, in NITs, IIITs, CFTIs and SPAs through JEE Main rank. IITs are not covered under DASA.

Q2. Is SAT accepted under DASA/CIWG in 2025–26?
No. SAT is no longer valid for DASA/CIWG admissions. From 2021 onward, admission is awarded strictly based on JEE Main rank and percentile only. Merit lists, cut-offs and seat allocation all depend on JEE Main performance.

Q3. Who is eligible to apply under CIWG?
CIWG eligibility is for NRI/OCI/PIO students whose parent works in Gulf or Middle East countries such as UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, supported by employment proof, visa, work permit or company documentation.

Q4. Which institutes are covered under DASA/CIWG seats?
DASA/CIWG currently covers major centrally-funded institutes including NITs, IIITs, SPAs and select CFTIs but excludes IITs.
Exact count (29 NITs, 11 IIITs, 3 SPAs and 14 CFTIs) should be reconfirmed from the 2025–26 seat-matrix.

Q5. What programs are offered under the DASA Scheme?
Eligible students can apply to B.Tech, B.E., B.Arch and B.Plan programs, along with multiple branch options like Computer Science, Mechanical, ECE, Civil, Data Science, AI/ML, Metallurgy, Petroleum, Mining and integrated dual-degree courses in select institutes.

Q6. Is there a minimum JEE Main score required for DASA/CIWG?
Earlier references like “minimum JEE score 180+” are outdated. DASA/CIWG has no fixed score requirement; admission depends on JEE Main rank, percentile, AIR, closing ranks and seat availability during counselling, not a minimum score barrier.

Q7. Do CIWG students pay lower tuition fees?
Yes. CIWG-eligible students generally pay tuition at Indian-resident rates, which is significantly lower than standard DASA international fees.
Exact fee figures for 2025–26 must be verified from the updated brochure and fee circulars.

Q8. Is 11th & 12th from abroad mandatory for DASA/CIWG?
Earlier guidelines required completing Grade 11 and 12 from schools abroad to qualify under DASA/CIWG.
This condition must be re-verified in the 2025–26 brochure, as wording, exceptions or updated residency rules are sometimes revised.

Q9. Which countries qualify NRI students for CIWG?
Students whose parents are employed in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or UAE can seek CIWG benefits if employment proof is submitted. Students in the USA qualify for DASA International seats but not CIWG unless parent works in Gulf.

Q10. Who coordinates DASA/CIWG counselling and admission?
Recent cycles were administered by NIT Karnataka, Surathkal, handling registrations, documents, verification and counselling.
The coordinating institute for 2025–26 must be confirmed from the official notification once released.