IISER 2026 Seat Intake: Check Category and Course-Wise Seat Intake

IAT 2026 Seat Matrix provides a detailed category-wise seat distribution across all IISERs and other participating institutes accepting IISER Aptitude Test scores. While preparing for the exam, candidates are always intrigued to know the IAT 2026 category-wise seat distribution among all the IISER 2026 participating institutes.

Through this SciAstra blog, candidates can check the total number of seats available for General, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories in BS-MS, BS, and BTech programmes offered by institutes such as IISERs, IIT Madras, and IIT Guwahati. Understanding the seat matrix is important for analysing admission chances, expected cutoffs, counselling strategy, and category-wise competition during the IISER 2026 admission process.

Understanding the IAT 2026 seat intake helps students estimate their admission chances, analyse category-wise competition, and make smarter counselling and preference-filling decisions during the admission process. Since IAT 2026 seat availability directly affects cutoffs and institute allocation, candidates should carefully review the seat distribution before participating in counselling.

Check out the latest category-wise IISER seat matrix, reservation criteria, programme-wise seat intake, and important insights related to admissions through IAT 2026 for all participating institutes.

IISER 2026 Seat Intake Reservation Criteria

The reservation policy for IISER admissions through IAT 2026 follows the norms prescribed by the Government of India. Seats across all participating IISERs are reserved category-wise to ensure equitable access for students from different social and economic backgrounds.

• Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% of total seats reserved

• Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% of total seats reserved

• Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL): 27% of total seats reserved

• General-EWS (GEN-EWS): 10% of total seats reserved for economically weaker section candidates as per Government of India norms

• Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 5% horizontal reservation within each category (GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST) for candidates with at least 40% disability

• Kashmiri Migrants (KM) and Kashmiri Pandits/Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) living in Kashmir Valley: 3 supernumerary seats per IISER

Reservation policy is implemented according to the latest Government of India guidelines

Candidates must provide valid category certificates during IISER 2026 counselling and admission process

Final seat allotment is based on IAT 2026 rank, category, seat availability, and preference filling

IISER 2026 Total Seat Intake at IISERs

For the IISER 2026 admission cycle, the total seat intake through the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) across all participating institutes is expected to be around 2,360+ seats. This includes seats in the seven IISERs. Check out the list of the programmes, IISER institutes and their seat intake:

IAT 2026 Seat Intake: Category-wise Seats for BS- MS Courses

Candidates interested in getting admissions to the 5-year BS-MS integrated degree, they can check out the category-wise IISER 2026 seat intake from the following:

Additionally:

• 3 supernumerary seats per IISER are reserved for:

  • Kashmiri Migrants (KM)

  • Kashmiri Pandits / Kashmiri Hindu Families living in Kashmir Valley

These seats are extra seats and are not included in the totals above.

IISER 2026 Seat Matrix for PwD Students (5% Horizontal Reservation)

Candidates applying for the BS-MS degree programme can check out the PwD seat intake from here:

IAT 2026 Seat Matrix: Category-Wise Seat for BS/B.Tech Programmes 

Candidates interested in getting admissions to the four-year BS/BTech, can check out the category-wise seat distribution from here:

IISER 2026 Seat Matrix for PwD Students (5% Horizontal Reservation)

Candidates falling under the PwD category and applied for the four-year BS/BTech courses offered at IISERs can check out the seat intake from here:

Note

• PwD seats are included within the category-wise seats above and are not additional seats.

• Final seat distribution may vary slightly due to rounding and official counselling adjustments.

IISER 2026 Seat Intake for IIT Guwahati

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati offers admission through IAT 2026 for its 4-Year BS Programme in Biomedical Science and Engineering (BMSE). The course combines biology, healthcare, and engineering with subjects like biomedical technology, AI, electronics, and medical sciences. Admission is based on IAT score and Class 12 PCMB eligibility.

IAT 2026 Seat Intake for IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras offers admission through IAT 2026 for two programmes, which are BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering and BS in Chemistry. The BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering focuses on interdisciplinary learning involving healthcare, biology, engineering, and research, while the BS in Chemistry provides strong theoretical and laboratory training with opportunities for advanced research and possible MS progression.

IAT 2026 Admission Process

Admissions to the above courses mentioned will be through the IAT 2026 channel. Interested candidates need to register by filling out the IISER 2026 Application Form available online on the official website.

After the declaration of the IAT 2026 result, test takers taking admissions to the IISER 2026 Institutes need to fill out the counselling registration form on the same portal. Candidates interested in taking admissions to the IISc and IIT Madras need to separately register for the counselling website individually.

• The entire counselling process will be conducted online. There is no need for the candidates to visit any IISER in person during the counselling process.

• Candidates can check if they received admission offers by logging into their application portal.

• Admission offers to any candidate will be given strictly based on the following factors: A. seat availability at each IISER in the current allocation round

B. IAT 2025 rank obtained by the candidate

C. IISER preferences given by the candidate

D. the category to which the candidate belongs

• A candidate can either choose to accept the seat OR reject it after receiving an admission offer. If a candidate rejects the offered seat or if no action is taken by the candidate before the deadline, then the candidate will not be able to participate in further rounds of counselling.

• If a candidate receives an offer, then to accept the seat offered, the candidate must pay a Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) through online mode before the prescribed deadline. If the SAF is not paid, the candidate will not be considered for admission in subsequent allocation rounds.

• After accepting the offer and paying the SAF, the candidate can exercise two options: (a) Candidate can FREEZE the seat (they will not participate in further rounds of counselling), (b) Candidates can FLOAT (they will participate in further rounds of counselling to get their higher preferences). The FLOAT option is activated by default for those who pay the SAF.

• A student who has chosen to FLOAT will be considered for seat allocation again in the next round. If they are eligible to secure a seat in an IISER that is higher in their preference list than the currently accepted one, they will be offered that seat.

If seats in preferred IISERs are filled, then the candidate will not be considered in further rounds of counselling. For example, if a candidate had given only two preferences as IISER-X and IISER-Y, and if the seats in these IISERs are filled, then the candidate will not be considered for seat allocation anymore. This process happens even if the student has not been allocated any seat in previous counselling rounds.

• Admission offers given are provisional. They will be confirmed only after the candidates report at the IISER where they have secured admission, and provide all the required documents in original. The reporting date(s) will be notified to the candidates by the respective IISER.

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