NLSIU Bangalore Seats 2026: Seat Matrix and Reservation Policy

For a law aspirant, securing a seat at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, is the ultimate goal. Known as the "Harvard of the East," NLSIU is the top-ranked law university in India. However, with its prestigious reputation comes intense competition. To plan your admission strategy for the 2026 academic year, it is vital to understand the NLSIU Bangalore Seats 2026 distribution and the specific reservation policies that govern them.

NLSIU Bangalore Seats 2026 Overview

NLSIU has significantly expanded its intake over the last few years as part of its "Inclusion and Expansion Plan." For the 2026-27 academic session, the university is expected to maintain its increased seat capacity across its flagship undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

*Note: 10 supernumerary seats are specifically allocated for Karnataka Students in the BA LLB program.

NLSIU Bangalore Seats for BA LLB (Hons.)

The 5-Year Integrated BA LLB (Hons.) is the most sought-after course at NLSIU. For 2026, the total intake stands at 310 seats. The selection is strictly based on the merit list of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

Category-Wise Seat Matrix

The vertical reservation for the BA LLB program is distributed as follows:

 NLSIU Bangalore Seats for 3-Year LLB

Introduced recently to cater to graduates from diverse backgrounds, the 3-Year LLB (Hons.) at NLSIU has quickly become highly competitive. There are 120 NLSIU Bangalore Seats for 3-Year LLB available for 2026. Admissions are conducted through the NLSAT (National Law School Admission Test).

 NLSIU Bangalore Seats for LLM

For postgraduate aspirants, the LLM program offers specialization in various legal branches. The NLSIU Bangalore Seats for LLM total 120, with the following distribution:

• General: 48 Seats

• OBC-NCL: 32 Seats

• SC: 18 Seats

• EWS: 12 Seats

• ST: 10 Seats

Selection is based on the CLAT PG 2026 merit list.

NLSIU Seats for MPP & PhD

Apart from core law degrees, NLSIU offers a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) and PhD programs.

• NLSIU Seats for MPP: The program has an intake of 60 students. It follows the same vertical reservation percentage as the LLB programs (SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC 27%, EWS 10%).

• NLSIU Seat Matrix for PhD: For the 2026 session, the university typically offers 8 seats (4 for PhD in Law and 4 for PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies).

Reservation Policy for NLSIU Bangalore Seats 2026

NLSIU follows a complex reservation structure involving both Vertical (Category-based) and Horizontal (Overlapping) reservations.

Horizontal Reservations

These reservations are applied across all vertical categories (General, SC, ST, etc.):

1. Women Candidates: 30% of the total intake is reserved for women.

2. Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 5% horizontal reservation is provided for candidates with disabilities.

3. Karnataka Students: 25% of seats are reserved horizontally for students who qualify under the "Karnataka Student" criteria.

Karnataka Student Criteria

To qualify for the 25% Karnataka reservation, a candidate must have:

• Studied in a recognized educational institution in Karnataka for at least seven years.

• This reservation is "compartmentalized," meaning it is applied within each vertical category.

NLSIU Vacant Seats 2026

Post the completion of the standard CLAT/NLSAT counseling rounds, a few seats may remain vacant due to withdrawals or non-payment of fees.

• Vacancy Notification: NLSIU usually releases a notification for NLSIU Vacant Seats 2026 on its official website (nls.ac.in) in June or July.

• Application Process: Interested candidates from the remaining merit list must apply fresh against the vacancy advertisement.

• Selection: Vacant seats are filled strictly on the basis of the original entrance test rank (CLAT/NLSAT).