LUCKNOW, June 16 -- The first round of JoSAA 2026 counselling has announced the closing ranks for admission to Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) under the Gender-Neutral Open Category. Among the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) IIITs, IIIT Lucknow emerged as the most sought-after institute, with its cutoff closing at an All India Rank (AIR) of 10,201. "An AIR of 10,201 corresponds to approximately 99.34 percentile in JEE Main 2026. This is an encouraging sign for the institute and reflects the quality of our placements and the high academic standards we have consistently maintained over the years. It is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and academic excellence of our students," said IIIT Lucknow director AM Sherry on Monday. Following IIIT Lucknow, IIIT Pune and IIIT Sri City emerged as the next most sought-after PPP IIITs, with closing ranks of 26,158 and 26,174, respectively, underscoring their increasing appeal among engineering aspirants. Other PPP institutes that witnessed strong demand included IIIT Guwahati, which closed at 29,112, followed by IIIT Tiruchirappalli at 31,674 and IIIT Nagpur at 33,520. Among the mid-range PPP IIITs, IIIT Kota, IIIT Surat, IIIT Sonepat, and IIIT Una closed with ranks ranging from AIR 34,014 to 37,663. Meanwhile, several newer institutes-including IIIT Kottayam, IIIT Dharwad, IIIT Raichur, IIIT Ranchi, IIIT Vadodara, IIIT Agartala, and IIIT Kalyani-recorded closing ranks between AIR 38,128 and 42,774. Among the PPP IIITs, IIIT Manipur had the highest closing rank at 57,305, making it the least competitive in the first round. Among the Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), IIIT Allahabad retained its position as the most competitive institute, with a closing rank of AIR 7,585. IIIT Gwalior followed with a closing rank of AIR 15,078, while IIIT Jabalpur, IIIT Kancheepuram, and IIIT Kurnool recorded closing ranks of AIR 44,772, 47,313, and 47,510, respectively. Education experts say the cutoff trends indicate that students continue to favour established IIITs with strong placement outcomes, robust industry partnerships, and a proven academic track record. They also expect significant movement in the closing ranks in the upcoming rounds of JoSAA 2026 counselling, as candidates revise, upgrade, and reshuffle their preferences during the seat allocation process....