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    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT - How to Change Branch

    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT - How to Change Branch

    K Guna SahitiUpdated on 13 May 2026, 05:35 PM IST

    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT: Joint Seat Allocation Authority conducts the counselling process for admission into 32 National Institutes of Technology across the country. Admission to BTech programmes is allotted based on factors such as seat availability, candidate preferences, and JEE Main result. However, some students may not get admission into their preferred BTech discipline during the counselling process. To address this, many NITs offer the option of branch change after the first year of study, subject to academic performance and institute-specific rules. The eligibility criteria and process for branch change differ from one NIT to another. Candidates interested in changing their BTech stream can refer to this article for detailed information on branch change rules in NITs.

    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT - How to Change Branch
    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT

    JoSAA is the counselling body that provides admission to 32 NIT colleges in India. A BTech stream is assigned based on the number of seats available, the choice of the candidates and the . In a few cases, an aspirant may not get entrance to the desired . Hence, most of the institutions have provisions for branch change in NITs. Candidates will be able to select a different stream after the first year based on their academic performance. The conditions for changing branches in NIT vary for each college. Students who wish to change their BTech stream can go through this article for the rule of changing branch in NITs.

    Rules of Changing Branch in NIT:

    In the table below, candidates can check the criteria to apply for a branch change in NIT. The following information consists of Institute-wise NITs along with their conditions for changing branches.

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    Institute-wise branch changing rules

    College NameRule of Branch Change
    NIT Bhopal

    General/OBC Category- Minimum CGPA of 8.5 after completion of the first year without backlogs.
    SC/ST/PH Category- Minimum CGPA of 8.0 after completion of the first year without backlogs

    NIT Durgapur

    General/OBC/EWS Category- SGPA not less than 9.00.
    SC/ST - SGPA not less than 8.5.

    NIT Jalandhar

    General Category- Minimum CGPA of 7.5 after completion of the first year without backlogs.
    SC/ST Category- Minimum CGPA of 6.5 after completion of the first year without backlogs.

    NIT Jamshedpur

    CGPA must be equal to or greater than 8.00 by the end of the second semester.

    NIT Mizoram

    Obtained a CGPA not less than 8.00 at the end of the second semester.

    NIT Agartala

    Obtained not less than 8.5 CGPA at the end of the second semester.

    NIT Arunachal Pradesh

    CGPA obtained at the end of the second semester shall be considered. In case of a tie, the JEE rank of the applicants will be considered.

    NIT Nagpur

    Highest CGPA candidates in the first year.

    NIT Sikkim

    Minimum CGPA of 7.00 after completion of the first year without backlogs.

    NIT Uttarakhand

    Minimum CGPA of 7.50 after completion of the first year without backlogs.

    NIT Meghalaya

    Minimum CGPA of 8.0 after completion of the first year without backlogs.

    NIT Andhra Pradesh

    Minimum CGPA of 8.5 after completion of the first year without backlogs.

    NIT Goa

    Minimum CGPA of 8.5 at the end of the second semester. First year must be cleared without backlogs.

    NIT Manipur

    Must have completed all the common credits required in the first two semesters.

    NIT Rourkela

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Warangal

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Silchar

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Raipur

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Delhi

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Puducherry

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Calicut

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Allahabad

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Tiruchirappalli

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Jaipur

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Kurukshetra

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Nagaland

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Hamirpur

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Surathkal

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Patna

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    NIT Surat

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

    IIEST Shibpur

    No provision for changing the branch after admission.

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    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: How do I change my branch in NIT?
    A:

    The branch change in NIT is based on the merit of the students. The higher the scores the more chances to get the branch changed.

    Q: Can we change the branch in the NIT second year?
    A:

    No, candidates can not change the branch in NIT's second year. The branch upgrade is only done based on the first-year results.

    Q: Is there a student exchange program at NIT?
    A:

    Yes, Many NITs offer a student exchange program.

    Q: Do all NITs provide option for branch change?
    A:

    No, not all the NIT colleges provide the option for branch change, for example, NIT Trichy, NIT Rourkela,  NIT Kurukshetra, NIT Nagaland and NIT Jaipur.

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