Rules of Changing Branch in NIT - How to Change Branch

Rules of Changing Branch in NIT - How to Change Branch

K Guna SahitiUpdated on 22 Aug 2025, 11:30 AM IST

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 JEE Main result. In a few cases, an aspirant may not get entrance to the desired BTech discipline. 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.

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Last three years' NIT Trichy cut-offs for BTech civil engineering are as follows: 

National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli

HS

Gender-Neutral

31593

36104

33703

HS

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

41075

43172

42452

OS

Gender-Neutral

17304

18965

20873

OS

Female-only (including Supernumerary)

26836

27581

28979


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

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.

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.

Amrita University B.Tech 2026

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Also check:

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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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Questions related to JEE Main

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to JEE Main ?

Hey there,

Your OBC-NCL certificate will not be valid for the JEE Mains 2026 application as it is from June 2024. You can apply for a new one as soon as possible. For the JEE Mains, the OBC-NCL certificate should be issued on or after 1 April 2025.

And as for your Aadhar, the mistakes in your name and Date of Birth will be an issue during the document verification process. The details should match your 10th-class certificate. So you will also need to update it as soon as possible.

Hope it helps!!!

Hello Satyam,

Yes, your EWS certificate is valid.

In Bihar, the EWS certificate can be issued by the Circle Officer, BDO, SDO, or DM. So a certificate signed by the Circle Officer (Revenue Officer) is acceptable.

If the format of your certificate is the same as the Central Government EWS format, then it is valid for JEE Main registration and also for JoSAA counselling. The heading “Government of Bihar” does not create any problem.

Just remember one point:
For JoSAA 2026 , you will need an EWS certificate issued on or after 1 April 2025. Even if your current certificate works for registration, you must update it before counselling.

Hope it helps !

Hello murali

No, your son is not eligible for OBC NCL for IIT JEE because you fall in the "creamy layer" occupational category, regardless of your current employment status or family income. Students whose family income is less than Rs. 8 lakhs annually and they are not belong to the "creamy layer".

Note -

  • Children of professionals like doctors, lawyers, and engineers, as well as government officials in Group A and Group B services, are generally considered in the "Creamy layer" category.
  • Your current unemployment does not change your occupational status. The eligibility is based on your profession, not your current job status.

Thank You

Hello,

You can fill the JEE Main form even if you are a private candidate

Write the name of the school/board from where you are appearing as a private candidate .
If your Class 12 admit card or registration slip shows a school/centre name, use that exactly.

If your board lists you as a “Private Candidate” under the board name , then write:

CBSE – Private Candidate
(or your board name – Private Candidate)

Use the pin code of the examination centre/school mentioned on your Class 12 private candidate admit card or registration details.

If your board does not give any school address and only shows the regional office address, then use the regional office address pin code given by your board.

Hope it helps !

Hello Aspirant

You should not leave the OBC-NCL certificate ID blank in the JEE Main form it can create problems later.

NTA wants the certificate details while filling the form, not just at counselling. If you can, apply for the OBC-NCL certificate immediately so you get the ID on time.

If you fail to submit the certificate during counselling, your category will shift to General. It’s safer to enter OBC-NCL only if you’re sure you’ll get the certificate before counselling.

Hope it will help you