The counselling process will be held in three rounds and conclude on August 31. It follows the completion of admissions for special category candidates on July 18. Counselling for candidates eligible under the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students also commenced on Monday.

Officials said 26,580 more seats are available for general counselling this year than last year. More than 75 per cent of the seats are expected to be filled by the end of the admission process.

The first round of counselling covers 37,976 candidates with cut-off marks ranging from 171.3 to 200.

The Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) advised candidates to exercise the maximum possible number of college choices to improve their chances of securing a seat in their preferred institution. Officials also reminded students to confirm their tentative allotment within the stipulated time to retain the allotted seat.

Unlike last year, when Computer Science and Information Technology courses dominated student preferences, officials expect core engineering disciplines such as Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), and Mechanical Engineering to witness higher demand this year.

During the special category counselling held earlier, allotment orders were issued to 258 persons with disabilities and 139 wards of ex-servicemen.