UCEED Reservation Policy 2026: Category-wise Reservation and Seat Matrix

The seat allotment of UCEED 2026 will be per the category-wise UCEED 2026 reservation policy. Read here about seats reserved for various categories, eligibility criteria, and other key details.

UCEED Reservation Policy 2026 - IIT Bombay has released the reservation policy for UCEED 2026. The reservation policy is outlined in the UCEED 2026 Information Brochure. The candidate can download the brochure from the admission portal - uceed.iitb.ac.in. The candidate must select their category when filling out the UCEED 2026 application form. IIT Bombay conducted the UCEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. As per the reservation policy, 10% of seats in each course will be reserved for GEN-EWS candidates. OBC-NCL candidates will have a maximum of 27%. Meanwhile, 15% and 7% of seats will be reserved for the SC and ST categories, respectively. Additionally, a 5% horizontal reservation will be available for PwD candidates. To avail of category-specific reservations, the candidate must meet the applicable criteria, including that of family income. Go through the rest of the article to learn the full details of the UCEED 2026 reservation policy.

Latest Updates:

• UCEED 2026 reservation policy announced; IITs to follow Govt Policy for admissions
• UCEED 2026 syllabus released by IIT Bombay

UCEED 2026 Reservation Criteria

The category-wise reservation of seats for UCEED 2026 is given in the table below.

UCEED 2026 Reservation Policy - Eligibility Criteria

The reservation of UCEED 2026 seats will be per the rules prescribed by the Government of India. The categories and the extent of reservation are as follows: 

• General Category – Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS):

• Reservation: 10% of seats in every course.
• Eligibility: Only applicable to General category candidates who meet the conditions outlined in OM No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II (dated January 17, 2019) by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Certificate Validity: EWS certificates must be issued on or after April 1, 2026, and the criteria are as per prevailing Government of India norms.

• Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL):

• Reservation: 27% of seats in every course.
• Eligibility: Candidates must be listed in the current updated central list of OBCs available at NCBC. Candidates in the state list but not in the central list are not eligible for the reservation.
• Note: Candidates belonging to the creamy layer are not eligible for OBC-NCL benefits and will compete for OPEN category seats. Candidates belonging to the creamy layer of OBC are NOT entitled to the reservation. Such candidates are treated as belonging to the general (GEN), i.e. unreserved category, and they will be eligible only for the OPEN seats.

• Scheduled Caste (SC):

• Reservation: 15% of seats in every course.
• Eligibility: Only candidates belonging to castes listed in the respective central list (available on Social Justice and NCST) will benefit from this reservation.

• Scheduled Tribe (ST):

• Reservation: 7.5% of seats in every course.
• Eligibility: Benefits apply only to candidates from tribes listed in the corresponding central lists.

• Persons with Disability (PwD):

• Reservation: 5% of seats are reserved within the OPEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, and ST categories.
• Eligibility: Candidates must have at least 40% impairment (locomotor, visual, or severe dyslexia) or be leprosy-cured and otherwise fit to pursue the courses.

UCEED Seat Matrix 2026

The seat matrix for UCEED 2026 is expected to be the same as 2025:

Can I request a change in the UCEED 2026 admission category?

The candidate must note that once a category has been selected, requests for a change in category will not be entertained.

Also, if SC, ST, EWS, and OBC-NCL category seats remain vacant, such seats will NOT be allotted to candidates belonging to other categories.

Admission officials will verify the category documents furnished by the candidate, and if any anomaly is found, the candidature of the candidate will be canceled.

So, be careful when selecting your admission category.

UCEED 2026 - Reservation of Seats for Foreign Nationals

Candidates who are not Indian citizens (by birth or naturalized) (but not OCI/PIO candidates) will fall under the foreign national category.

Foreign nationals will be allotted supernumerary seats. 

The supernumerary seats will have a cap of 10% of the total seats in every course. 

Foreign nationals can’t opt for GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories / sub-categories.

To be considered for UCEED 2026 seat allocation, foreign nationals must have an All India Rank (AIR) and meet all the eligibility requirements- similar to open-category candidates. 

The counseling-cum-seat allotment for foreign nationals will be conducted after the seat allotment process for Indian nationals (in the same round).

UCEED 2026 Application Form

The application form for UCEED 2026 is open from October 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025. The candidate can also apply with a late fee of INR 500 till November 7, 2025. The UCEED 2026 application fee is INR 4000 (SC, ST, PwD, and women candidates must pay only INR 2000).

To fill out the UCEED application form 2026, the candidate must get registered, and fill in personal, academic, and contact details. Next, select three exam centers in a priority, and upload documents. Finally, pay the application fee to complete the process. The UCEED 2026 application is for admission to the B.Des program, which has an intake capacity of 245 seats (expected). 

UCEED 2026 Exam

IIT Bombay will conduct the UCEED 2026 exam on January 18, 2026. The exam will have TWO parts. Part A will be a computer-based exam that will include 57 questions carrying 200 marks. Meanwhile, Part B will be held offline and include two questions of 100 marks. Part B answer booklets will be evaluated only if the candidate meets the Part B UCEED 2026 cut-off.