Odisha’s NEET category list for medical admissions has a distinctive feature: SEBC (OBC equivalent) reservation did not exist in medical education until April 2026. Through 2025-26, OBC candidates competed in the General (unreserved) category. The Odisha cabinet introduced 11.25% SEBC reservation from 2026-27 (cabinet approved; implementation pending confirmation).
Vertical category codes (through 2025-26)
| Code | Category | Reservation % |
|---|---|---|
| GN | General (Unreserved) | 70% (open merit) |
| SC | Scheduled Caste | 8% |
| ST | Scheduled Tribe | 12% |
| EW | Economically Weaker Section | 10% |
These codes appear in the “CATEGORY” column of OJEE allotment lists. EWS is treated as a separate vertical category in Odisha (with its own quota codes like EWNO, EWGC, EWPH), not as a horizontal overlay.
New reservation percentages (from 2026-27)
The Odisha cabinet approved revised reservation in April 2026:
| Category | Old % | New % |
|---|---|---|
| ST | 12% | 22.50% |
| SC | 8% | 16.25% |
| SEBC (OBC equivalent) | 0% (none) | 11.25% (newly introduced) |
| EWS | 10% | 10% (unchanged) |
The total reserved percentage rises from 30% to 60% with this revision, assuming EWS continues at 10% (awaiting confirmation). SEBC candidates who previously competed as General will now have a dedicated quota from 2026-27 onwards (cabinet approved April 2026; implementation timeline pending confirmation).
Horizontal reservations (applied within each vertical category)
These quotas cut across all vertical categories. A candidate benefits from horizontal reservation while being counted against their vertical category:
| Code | Quota | Percentage | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| GC | Green Card | 5% | Families holding valid Green Cards from the Family Welfare Department (income below ~Rs 1 lakh rural / Rs 1.2 lakh urban annually) |
| PC/PH | Physically Challenged (PwD) | 5% | Minimum 40% benchmark disability, certified by medical board |
| EX | Ex-Servicemen | 3% | Wards of ex-servicemen from Odisha |
| SGS | State Government School | 15% | Completed both Class 10 from Odisha Government High Schools AND Class 12 from Odisha Government Junior Colleges |
In Round 1 of 2025, these horizontal quotas filled: 260 SGS seats, 87 Green Card seats, 48 Ex-servicemen seats, and 42 PwD seats.
Combined quota codes in allotment lists
Odisha allotment PDFs combine vertical and horizontal codes into a single “allotment category” field. The pattern is [Vertical][Horizontal]:
| Open (GN) | SC | ST | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPNO | SCNO | STNO | EWNO |
| OPGC | SCGC | STGC | EWGC |
| OPEX | SCEX | STEX | EWEX |
| OPPH | SCPH | STPH | EWPH |
| SGS OPNO | SGS SCNO | SGS STNO | SGS EWNO |
“NO” means no horizontal reservation applied; the candidate was admitted on vertical category merit alone.
NRI quota uses the code “NRI OPNO” (available only at private colleges).
How to determine your category
Your vertical category depends on your caste certificate:
- GN (General): If your caste is not listed in SC, ST, or SEBC lists for Odisha
- SC: Per the Scheduled Castes list notified for Odisha
- ST: Per the Scheduled Tribes list notified for Odisha
- EW (EWS): General category candidates whose family income is below Rs 8 lakh/year (requires EWS certificate from Tahsildar)
- SEBC: Per the SEBC list for Odisha (applicable from 2026-27 onwards)
For horizontal reservation, you need additional documentation:
- Green Card: Valid card from the Family Welfare Department
- PwD: Disability certificate (minimum 40%) from a recognized medical board
- Ex-servicemen: Discharge certificate of parent/guardian
- SGS: School-leaving certificates from both government high school (Class 10) and government junior college (Class 12)
Vacancy conversion
The specific conversion chain for unfilled reserved seats is not published in OJEE’s official documents. In practice, unfilled reserved seats convert to the General (unreserved) category during subsequent rounds. For horizontal quotas, unfilled seats revert to the non-reserved pool within the same vertical category.
How Odisha categories differ from AIQ categories
| Odisha state counselling | AIQ equivalent |
|---|---|
| GN (General) | UR (Unreserved) |
| SC | SC |
| ST | ST |
| EW (EWS) | EWS |
| SEBC (from 2026-27) | OBC |
| Green Card (GC) | No equivalent |
| SGS (State Govt School) | No equivalent |
| — | OBC (27%) — not available in Odisha until 2026-27 |
If you hold both a state caste certificate and a central OBC/SC/ST certificate, you can use each in its respective counselling (Odisha certificate for state quota; central certificate for AIQ).