Update (1 August 2026): On 31 July 2026 the NMC issued a corrigendum revising Appendix-D, the Locomotor Disability Affidavit (a lower-extremity, stability self-declaration) of the PwBD Assessment Guidelines, 2026. All other terms of the 27 July 2026 guidelines stay the same. Locomotor-disability candidates should download and use the revised Appendix-D affidavit; the other disability affidavits are unchanged.
If you cleared NEET UG 2026 and plan to apply for a seat reserved for persons with disability, there is one step to finish before counselling choice-filling begins. On 30 July 2026 the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) issued a notice telling every candidate in the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category how to obtain the eligibility certificate that lets them claim these seats.
This applies to the All India Quota. The certificate described here is issued by MCC’s own Medical Assessment Boards for the All India Quota (AIQ) counselling that MCC conducts. If you are after a PwBD seat under the 85% state quota, you go through your state’s counselling and its own assessment boards instead (covered lower down). The medical rules are the same NMC 2026 guidelines in both cases, but the certificate and the board are different.
The certificate follows the National Medical Commission’s new rules, the Guidelines on Assessment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) for Admission to the MBBS Course, 2026. PwBD candidates hold a 5% reservation across MBBS and postgraduate medical and dental seats, and this certificate is what unlocks those seats in the counselling system.
You must be assessed in person before seats are shown
To claim a PwBD seat you have to visit one of MCC’s designated Medical Assessment Boards and be examined there. You cannot self-declare your way into these seats. Carry the following to the board:
- Your NEET UG 2026 score card showing you are eligible for MBBS.
- Your permanent UDID card issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- A self-certified affidavit describing your functional abilities, in the Schedule-I format. The board verifies this during the assessment.
- The self-certification affidavit (Appendix-A) and the affidavit for your specific disability category, in the NMC formats given in Appendix-B to F.
The board issues the certificate based on the disability recorded on your UDID card and the affidavits you submit, once you meet the eligibility criteria.
No certificate, no PwD seats on your screen
This is the part to plan around. Only candidates who have obtained the eligibility certificate from a designated MCC board will be shown PwD seat choices during AIQ counselling. If you skip the assessment or leave it too late, those seats will not appear when you fill your choices. The certificate is valid for this academic session only, so one from an earlier year does not carry over.
Where to get assessed
MCC has listed 62 disability certification centres across the country in Annexure-1 of the notice. Many certify all disability categories, but several are limited to specific ones, so check before you travel. The All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai assesses locomotor disability only; the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysuru handles speech and hearing only; and the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute, Mumbai covers hearing only. Large boards such as IPGMER Kolkata, Madras Medical College Chennai, GMC Chandigarh and AIIMS Nagpur cover all categories.
If you are applying for a PwBD seat under the 85% state quota rather than the All India Quota, you can go to your state’s medical assessment board instead. Even then, the evaluation has to follow the NMC’s 2026 guidelines.
Fake documents will cost you the seat
MCC has been blunt about misuse. If the UDID card or affidavit you submit is found to be fake, your seat will be cancelled and legal action will be taken against you. Only genuine, verifiable documents belong in this process.
Plan your AIQ counselling
While you sort out the certificate, get your college list ready:
- College Predictor — see which MBBS colleges your NEET rank can reach in the All India Quota.
- All India Quota cutoffs — last-rank data for AIQ seats, category by category.
- AI Counsellor — step-by-step help through the counselling rounds.
- Counselling guides — how All India Quota and state counselling actually work.
Source: MCC notice Ref. U-11011/07/2026-MEC dated 30 July 2026, enclosing the NMC PwBD Assessment Guidelines, 2026. Read the full notice and the 62-centre list (PDF). Always confirm the current schedule at mcc.nic.in before you act.