BIT, Sindri has a total 680 seats followed by RVS College of Engineering and Technology that offers about 360 seats. The Bihar Association-run engineering college in Jamshedpur, Ramgovind Institute of Technology, Koderma and Cambridge Institute of Technology, Tatisilwai (Ranchi) offers 240 seats each.

Kumar said the board is going to announce dates for the second round of counselling in September in which all -- approximately 8,000 -- aspirants who appeared in the mains tests of JJECEB (engineering) would be called.

There are chances that many students who have been recommended for admissions in different engineering colleges would opt out, JJECEB sources conceded.

The board has asked engineering colleges to inform it by August 28 whether all students recommended for admission in the first round of counselling had taken admission or not and the number of seats that were vacant.

This year, out of 1,049 general category candidates called for counselling, BIT, Sindri scrutinised 957 students to fill 340 general category seats.

As far as counselling for medical seats is concerned, all 147 seats in three government-run medical colleges were filled during the first round. These include 72 seats in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, 38 seats in Pataliputra Medical College and Hospital, Dhanbad and 37 seats in Jamshedpur-based Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMCH).

But altogether, 17 seats in the general category remained vacant in Kanke-based veterinary college while counselling for agriculture stream is yet to take place.