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This Kerala NEET category list covers all reservation codes used in CEE Kerala’s medical counselling. The base reservation structure is SC 8% + ST 2% + SEBC 30% = 40%, leaving 60% as State Merit (open to all). EWS (10%) may be supernumerary in some contexts; check the current year’s CEE prospectus for confirmation. Kerala has one of the most detailed backward class reservation systems in India, splitting SEBC into nine distinct community sub-groups rather than a single OBC block.

Category codes used in Kerala NEET counselling

Code	Category	Reservation %
GN	General / Forward Community	60% (State Merit, open to all)
EZ	Ezhava	9%
MU	Muslim	8%
BH	Other Backward Hindu	3%
LA	Latin Catholic and Anglo Indian	3%
DV	Dheevara and related communities	2%
VK	Viswakarma and related communities	2%
KN	Kusavan and related communities	1%
BX	Other Backward Christian	1%
KU	Kudumbi	1%
SC	Scheduled Caste	8%
ST	Scheduled Tribe	2%
EW	Economically Weaker Section	10% (govt colleges only)

Total SEBC reservation: 30% (EZ + MU + BH + LA + DV + VK + KN + BX + KU combined)

SC/ST total: 10%

EWS: 10% (applicable in government colleges; may be supernumerary)

State Merit (open): 60% (accessible to candidates of all communities, filled purely by merit)

The nine SEBC sub-groups

The SEBC reservation in Kerala is structured differently from the central system. Rather than grouping all backward communities under a single “OBC” label (as at the central level), Kerala assigns each community its own percentage. This means an Ezhava candidate competes only against other Ezhava candidates for the 9% EZ seats, not against all backward classes together.

The nine sub-groups are: EZ (9%), MU (8%), BH (3%), LA (3%), DV (2%), VK (2%), KN (1%), BX (1%), and KU (1%). The Kudumbi community receiving a separate 1% quota is specific to Kerala.

How to determine your category

Your category for Kerala NEET counselling is determined by your community certificate issued by the Village Officer / Tahsildar. The candidate’s community (not the parent’s) determines eligibility. Key points:

• GN (General): If your community is not listed in SC, ST, or any SEBC sub-group
• SEBC (EZ/MU/BH/LA/DV/VK/KN/BX/KU): Per the Kerala State OBC list, which maps each community to its specific sub-group
• SC/ST: Per the Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes lists applicable to Kerala
• EW: Forward community candidates with family annual income below the state-prescribed threshold (per the state government’s prevailing criteria)

OEC (Other Eligible Community)

Kerala has an additional classification called OEC (Other Eligible Community) for forward communities that are economically backward. OEC candidates are considered against seats that remain unfilled by SC/ST candidates. This is not a separate reservation percentage but a vacancy-filling mechanism.

Seat vacancy conversion

When seats reserved for a category go unfilled after all phases, they convert as follows:

• Unfilled SEBC sub-group seats revert to State Merit (SM)
• Unfilled SC seats may be offered to OEC candidates before reverting to SM
• Unfilled ST seats follow a similar pattern

This conversion happens progressively through each phase of counselling.

Seat types beyond community reservation

Beyond the standard community categories, Kerala’s allotment lists include several special seat types:

Code	Seat Type	Seats
AC	All Christian (minority community quota)	Varies by college
MM	Muslim Minority (community quota)	Varies by college
AM	All-India Merit (minority college)	Varies by college
NR	NRI (general)	15% of private seats
NC	NRI Christian (minority college)	In Christian minority colleges
NM	NRI Muslim (minority college)	In Muslim minority colleges
PD	Persons with Disability	5% in govt/aided colleges
CC	NCC	3 seats
XS	Ex-Servicemen	6 seats
DK	Defence Personnel (Killed/Disabled) dependents	5 seats
SD	Serving Defence Personnel	2 seats
PI	Sports (Individual)	5 seats
PT	Sports (Team)	6 seats
DA	Ayurveda degree holders	7 seats
DM	BDS degree holders	1 seat
NQ	Nurse-Allopathy	1 seat

The professional degree conversion quotas (DA, DM, NQ) are found only in Kerala’s system; they allow holders of Ayurveda, dental, or nursing degrees to convert to MBBS through designated seats.

Horizontal reservations

Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 5% of seats in government and aided colleges are reserved for candidates with benchmark disabilities (minimum 40%). This applies across all vertical categories.

Sports quota: Eleven seats total, split between individual achievement (PI, 5 seats) and team sports (PT, 6 seats).

Defence-related quotas: Sixteen seats total across NCC (CC, 3), ex-servicemen (XS, 6), defence killed/disabled dependents (DK, 5), and serving defence personnel (SD, 2).

How Kerala categories differ from AIQ categories

Kerala state counselling	AIQ equivalent
GN (General)	UR (Unreserved)
EZ + MU + BH + LA + DV + VK + KN + BX + KU	OBC (single block at central level)
SC	SC
ST	ST
EW	EWS
OEC	No equivalent
AC / MM (minority community)	No equivalent

If you hold both a state community certificate and an OBC certificate valid for central purposes, you can use the state certificate for Kerala counselling and the central OBC certificate for AIQ counselling separately.

The Kerala NEET counselling process 2026 is conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE Kerala). The CEE manages admission to approximately 36 medical colleges across the state, covering around 4,905 MBBS seats annually through a single-window Centralised Allotment Process (CAP).

Official website: cee.kerala.gov.in

How Kerala’s state merit rank works

Kerala does not use your NEET All India Rank directly for state counselling. Instead, CEE Kerala generates a separate state merit list (KEAM rank) by sorting all registered Kerala-eligible candidates by their NEET score.

Your KEAM rank will differ from your AIR because the pool is limited to Kerala applicants who registered for KEAM counselling. A candidate with AIR 5,000 might receive a much lower state rank since only registered Kerala-domiciled candidates are counted.

No separate state entrance exam exists for medical admission. Kerala uses only NEET UG scores (since 2017). The “KEAM” label for medical counselling refers to the registration and allotment process, not a separate test.

Who is eligible

You can participate in Kerala state counselling if you meet the eligibility requirements under one of three domicile tiers:

Keralite (full eligibility):

• Domicile of Kerala, or children of All India Service officers posted in Kerala
• Eligible for State Merit (SM) seats and all reserved category seats

Non-Keralite Category I (limited eligibility):

• Candidates who studied in Kerala schools or meet special conditions (government service, extended residency)
• Limited seat access

Non-Keralite Category II (private colleges only):

• Eligible only for private college Management and NRI quota seats
• Not eligible for state quota seats

Additional requirements for all candidates:

• Must qualify NEET UG (50% for General, 40% for SC/ST/OBC, 45% for General-PwD)
• Must be at least 17 years old as of 31 December of the admission year
• Must have passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

Registration process

1. Register on the KEAM portal at cee.kerala.gov.in (registration link published each year after NEET results)
2. Upload required documents: NEET scorecard, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, domicile/nativity certificate, community certificate, passport-size photographs
3. Pay the registration fee (Rs 625 for General, Rs 250 for SC)
4. Verify and lock your application before the deadline

Registration typically opens in June-July, within a few weeks of NEET results.

Trial allotment (specific to Kerala)

Before Phase 1, CEE Kerala conducts a trial allotment. This allows candidates to see their likely outcome based on current preferences and adjust their choice list before the actual allotment. Kerala is one of the few states to offer a trial allotment in NEET counselling.

Round-by-round timeline

Kerala conducts three main phases plus possible mop-up rounds:

Phase 1 (August)

• State merit list published
• Choice filling and locking
• First allotment published (18 August in 2025)
• Candidates report to allotted college and pay fees

Phase 2 (September)

• Includes both new candidates and upgradation of Phase 1 allottees
• Candidates who accepted Phase 1 seats can be upgraded to higher-preference colleges if seats become available
• Allotment published (25 September in 2025)

Phase 3 (October)

• Final consolidated allotment list
• Covers remaining vacancies and further upgradation
• 2025 P3 had 6,718 entries compared to 5,946 in P1 because each phase includes earlier allottees plus new candidates

Mop-up round (October-November)

• For seats still vacant after Phase 3
• Open to all eligible candidates

Stray vacancy round

• Last-chance round for remaining unfilled seats

If a candidate fails to join or remit fees after allotment, the seat is vacated and the candidate cannot participate in subsequent phases.

Seat matrix and quota structure

Kerala’s seat distribution for MBBS (approximate 2025 figures):

• Total state-counselled MBBS seats: ~4,905 across 36 colleges
• Government colleges: 14 colleges, 1,855 seats
• Private colleges: 22 colleges, ~3,550 seats (including minority institutions)
• Deemed university (Amrita): 150 seats (separate from state counselling)

How government college seats split:

• 85% State Quota (allotted by CEE Kerala)
• 15% All India Quota (allotted by MCC, not CEE)

How private college seats split:

• 50% State Government Quota (filled via CEE merit, regulated fees)
• 35% Management Quota (filled via CEE merit, higher fees)
• 15% NRI Quota

A feature specific to Kerala’s system: even management and NRI seats in private colleges are allotted centrally through CEE Kerala. Candidates do not need to approach colleges individually.

What happens after allotment

Once allotted a seat:

1. Download your provisional allotment order from the portal
2. Report to the allotted college within the specified window
3. Submit original documents for verification
4. Pay the required fees

In Phase 2 and Phase 3, your seat can be upgraded automatically if a higher-preference college has a vacancy. You do not need to surrender your current seat to participate in upgradation.

Tie-breaking criteria

CEE Kerala’s prospectus specifies the tie-breaking rules when two candidates have the same NEET score. Candidates should consult the current year’s CEE Kerala prospectus at cee.kerala.gov.in for the exact tie-breaking sequence, as it may be updated annually.

Key differences from AIQ counselling

	Kerala state	MCC All India Quota
Rank used	KEAM State Merit Rank	NEET AIR
Reservation	30% SEBC + 10% SC/ST + 10% EWS	49.5% (OBC 27% + SC 15% + ST 7.5%)
Eligibility	Kerala domicile/study	Open to all India
Category system	SM/EZ/MU/BH/LA/DV/VK/KN/BX/KU/SC/ST/EW	UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS
Phases	3 + mop-up	3
Fees (govt colleges)	~Rs 23,100-25,000/year	Varies by state
Special feature	Trial allotment before Phase 1	No trial allotment
Private seat allocation	Centrally managed by CEE	Not applicable

West Bengal has 38 medical colleges admitting MBBS students through NEET-based counselling: 25 government and 13 private. Total MBBS seats are approximately 5,000-5,700 across these colleges, though web sources give figures ranging from 4,725 to 5,676 depending on the year. The 38-college count is verified from 2025 allotment data; per-college seat numbers come from the official WBMCC seat matrix published each year.

Government vs private at a glance

Type	Colleges	Fee range (annual, govt; total course, private SQ)
Government	25	Rs 9,000-11,144/year (most at Rs 9,000; ESI-PGIMSR is Rs 1 lakh/year)
Private	13	Rs 3-5.48 lakh total course (state quota)
Total	38

Government colleges (25)

West Bengal has 25 government medical colleges, spread from Kolkata in the south to Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri in the north, covering most districts.

Kolkata cluster (6 colleges):

Medical College Kolkata (established 1835), Nilratan Sircar Medical College, R.G. Kar Medical College, Calcutta National Medical College, IPGMER (Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research), and ESI-PGIMSR Joka. Six government medical colleges in a single city gives Kolkata one of the highest concentrations of government medical education in the state.

Other districts:

Burdwan Medical College, Midnapore Medical College, and North Bengal Medical College (Darjeeling) are long-established institutions outside Kolkata. More recent additions include Jhargram Government Medical College, Raiganj Government Medical College, and Rampurhat Government Medical College.

The full list of 25 government colleges spans these cities: Kolkata (6), Burdwan, Midnapore, Darjeeling, Bankura, Kalyani, Kamarhati, Diamond Harbour, Malda, Murshidabad, Barasat, Tamluk, Arambag, Uluberia, Rampurhat, Purulia, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, and Raiganj.

Private colleges (13)

All 13 private colleges in West Bengal allot 100% of their seats through WBMCC. There is no separate private college counselling; candidates do not need to approach private colleges individually.

Key private college clusters:

• Durgapur (3): IQ City Medical College, Shri Ramkrishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Gouri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences
• Kalyani (2): JMN Medical College, JIS School of Medical Science and Research
• Kolkata (2): Jagannath Gupta Institute of Medical Sciences, KPC Medical College (Jadavpur)

Other private colleges are located in Bolpur (Santiniketan Medical College), Haldia (ICARE Institute), Krishnanagar, Murshidabad (Jakir Hossain Medical College), Burdwan (East West Institute), and Raniganj.

Key cities by college count

City	Govt	Private	Total
Kolkata	6	2	8
Durgapur	0	3	3
Kalyani	1	2	3
Burdwan	1	1	2
Murshidabad	1	1	2

The remaining 20 colleges are distributed across 20 different cities, each with a single institution.

Fee summary

College type	Quota	Fee	Basis
Government (most)	State Quota	~Rs 9,000/year	Annual tuition
Bankura Sammilani MC	State Quota	Rs 9,166/year	Annual tuition
Midnapore MC	State Quota	Rs 11,144/year	Annual tuition
ESI-PGIMSR Joka	State Quota	Rs 1 lakh/year	Annual tuition
Private	State Quota (50%)	Rs 3-5.48 lakh	Total course fee
Private	Management (35%)	Rs 12-21.88 lakh	Total course fee
Private	NRI (15%)	Rs 1.36 crore+	Total course fee

Government fees listed above are tuition only. Hostel, examination, and miscellaneous charges are extra. ESI-PGIMSR is a central government institution and charges substantially more than state government colleges.

The private college fee ranges above are from secondary sources and list total course fees (not annual). Some other references cite annual private fees of Rs 9-18 lakh/year for management quota, which would make the total substantially higher. Verify current fee structures from WBMCC’s official fee notification for the admission year.

Hostel charges at private colleges run approximately Rs 1-2 lakh per year, separate from tuition.

Offline document verification

Unlike states where the entire counselling process is online, West Bengal requires in-person document verification at designated centres. You must physically present your original certificates (domicile proforma, category certificate, NEET scorecard, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets) during the verification window. The verification centres operate from 11 AM to 4 PM. Missing this step means your application will not be processed, regardless of your NEET score.

Plan your travel accordingly, especially if you are applying from outside Kolkata. Verification centres and their locations are published on wbmcc.nic.in at the start of each counselling cycle.

The West Bengal NEET category list includes six vertical reservation groups and one horizontal reservation. WBMCC applies approximately 55% community-based reservation in state quota MBBS seats across government colleges. This figure does not include the separate ~7% government school quota, which operates outside the community-based reservation structure. The state’s reservation system has two distinctive features: SC reservation at 22%, and OBC split into two sub-categories rather than a single block.

West Bengal NEET category list and codes

Code	Category	Reservation %
UR / OPEN	Unreserved / General	~42% (remaining after reserved categories)
SC	Scheduled Caste	22%
ST	Scheduled Tribe	6%
OBC-A	Other Backward Class A	~10%
OBC-B	Other Backward Class B	~7%
EWS	Economically Weaker Section	10%
PwD	Persons with Disability	3% (horizontal)

A note on the OBC-A and OBC-B percentages: Published references disagree on the exact split. Most cite OBC-A at 10% and OBC-B at 7% (including mbbscouncil.com), but some report OBC-A at 8% and OBC-B at 9%. The figures above follow the more commonly cited numbers. Verify the current year’s split from the official WBMCC notification before making preference decisions.

The OBC-A and OBC-B split

Most Indian states (and the All India Quota) treat OBC as a single category with one reservation percentage. West Bengal divides OBC into two distinct sub-groups:

• OBC-A includes communities listed in the state’s OBC-A schedule (approximately 10% reservation)
• OBC-B includes communities listed in the state’s OBC-B schedule (approximately 7% reservation)

This split matters during counselling because OBC-A candidates compete only against other OBC-A candidates for OBC-A seats, and likewise for OBC-B. Your West Bengal OBC certificate will specify whether you fall under OBC-A or OBC-B. If you hold a central OBC certificate for AIQ counselling, that certificate does not distinguish between A and B; the sub-classification is only relevant for West Bengal state counselling.

How to determine your category

Your category is determined by the certificate issued by your district authority:

• UR (Unreserved): If your community is not listed in the SC, ST, OBC-A, or OBC-B schedules of West Bengal
• SC: Per the state’s Scheduled Caste list, issued by the District Magistrate or SDO
• ST: Per the state’s Scheduled Tribe list
• OBC-A or OBC-B: Per the West Bengal State OBC list, which assigns each community to either OBC-A or OBC-B. Must be non-creamy layer. The certificate must be issued by the competent authority in West Bengal
• EWS: For unreserved (General) category candidates with family annual income below the EWS threshold. The EWS certificate is separate from any community certificate

Government School quota

West Bengal reserves approximately 7% of state quota seats for students who completed their schooling entirely (or for the last 5 years) in government-run schools. This quota is separate from the community-based vertical reservations listed above; the 55% reservation figure in the opening section does not include it. The exact percentage and detailed eligibility conditions should be confirmed from the official WBMCC notification for the current year, as secondary sources vary on the specifics.

PwD reservation (horizontal)

Persons with Disability (PwD) reservation in West Bengal is 3% and operates as a horizontal reservation. This means 3% of seats within each vertical category (UR, SC, ST, OBC-A, OBC-B, EWS) are earmarked for PwD candidates. A candidate who is both SC and PwD would be counted against the SC-PwD allocation.

The PwD suffix applies to all base categories, producing combined codes like OPEN-PWD, SC-PWD, OBC-A-PWD, and OBC-B-PWD in the allotment results.

SC reservation at 22%

West Bengal’s SC reservation is 22%. For comparison, the All India Quota reserves 15% for SC, and most states fall between 15-20%. This reflects the larger Scheduled Caste population in West Bengal.

How WB categories differ from AIQ categories

West Bengal state counselling	AIQ equivalent
UR / OPEN	UR (Unreserved)
OBC-A	OBC (single block at central level)
OBC-B	OBC (single block at central level)
SC (22%)	SC (15%)
ST (6%)	ST (7.5%)
EWS (10%)	EWS (10%)
Govt School quota (~7%)	No equivalent

If you hold both a West Bengal state OBC certificate (specifying A or B) and a central OBC certificate, you can use the state certificate for WB counselling and the central certificate for AIQ counselling. The two systems are independent.

The West Bengal NEET counselling process is conducted by the West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee (WBMCC), under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal. WBMCC manages admission to 38 medical colleges (25 government and 13 private), with all seats, including private management and NRI quotas, allotted through a single centralised process.

Official website: wbmcc.nic.in

How ranks work in West Bengal

West Bengal uses your NEET All India Rank (AIR) directly. WBMCC prepares a state merit list by filtering all NEET-qualified, domicile-eligible candidates and ordering them by AIR. There is no separate state entrance exam or state-specific rank.

Your position in the West Bengal merit list depends only on how many other WB-eligible candidates scored above you in NEET. Your AIR number stays the same; the merit list simply determines which AIR holders are eligible for state quota seats. Since WB uses AIR directly, tie-breaking follows NEET rules: higher marks in Biology, then Chemistry, then fewer incorrect answers, then older candidate.

Who is eligible

West Bengal uses a three-proforma domicile system, which is more granular than the single domicile certificate used in most states.

Proforma A1: You have been residing in West Bengal for the past 10 years or more.

Proforma A2: You have resided in West Bengal for 10+ years AND passed Class 12 in 2025 or earlier.

Proforma B: You do not reside in West Bengal, but one of your parents is a permanent resident of the state with a permanent address in West Bengal.

Your domicile certificate must be signed by a District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Deputy Magistrate, Deputy Collector, Sub Divisional Officer, or Block Development Officer.

Non-domicile candidates can apply only for Management quota and NRI quota seats in private colleges.

Additional requirements:

• Must qualify NEET UG (minimum marks in PCB: 50% for General, 40% for SC/ST/OBC, 45% for PwD)
• Minimum 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year
• Must have passed 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English

Registration process

1. Register on the WBMCC portal at wbmcc.nic.in when the UG counselling link opens (typically July, after NEET results)
2. Upload required documents: NEET scorecard, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, domicile proforma (A1/A2/B), category certificate (if applicable), passport-size photographs
3. Pay the registration fee: Rs 2,000 for General/UR candidates, Rs 1,500 for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD candidates
4. Attend in-person document verification at a designated centre (11 AM to 4 PM during the verification window)
5. Fill and lock your choice list within the specified window

The offline document verification step is a WB-specific requirement. Unlike fully online counselling in some states, you must physically present your original documents at a verification centre before your application is considered valid.

Round-by-round timeline

WBMCC typically conducts two confirmed UG allotment rounds, with a possible third round depending on the year. A mop-up round and a stray vacancy round may follow. In 2025, the R3 allotment PDF covered postgraduate seats rather than MBBS, so MBBS candidates had two regular rounds plus mop-up and stray vacancy. The number of UG rounds can vary year to year based on seat availability and WBMCC notifications.

Round 1 (August)

• Registration and fee payment open (late July to mid-August; in 2025, July 31 to August 12)
• Offline document verification runs concurrently (August 1-13 in 2025)
• Choice filling and locking (August 14-17 in 2025)
• Seat allotment result published (August 20-23 in 2025)
• Report to allotted college within 3-4 days of publication

Round 2 (September)

• Fresh registration window opens for new candidates (August 27 to September 29 in 2025)
• Updated seat matrix published after Round 1 reporting
• Fresh choice filling is mandatory; you cannot carry forward your Round 1 preferences
• Result published (September 8 in 2025)
• Report to allotted college within 3 days
• Any seat allotted in Round 2 cancels your previous allotment

Round 3 (October, if conducted for UG)

• Registration: early October (October 6-8 in 2025)
• Verified candidates list published (October 10 in 2025)
• Dates for choice filling and allotment announced separately
• Note: in 2025, the R3 process was for PG admissions; check the current year’s WBMCC notification to confirm whether a UG R3 is being held

Mop-up round (November-December)

• For seats remaining vacant after the regular rounds
• May be conducted offline

Stray vacancy round (December)

• Last-chance round for any remaining unfilled seats
• In 2025, ran from approximately December 19-31

Seat matrix and quota structure

Government colleges (85/15 split):

Quota	Percentage	Conducted by
All India Quota (AIQ)	15%	MCC centrally
State Quota	85%	WBMCC

Private colleges (three quotas, all through WBMCC):

Quota	Percentage	Eligibility
State Quota (SQ)	50%	WB domicile only
Management Quota (OPN)	35%	Open to all states
NRI Quota	15%	NRI candidates (~207 NRI seats across 9 private colleges)

All three private college quotas are allotted through WBMCC’s centralised online counselling. There is no separate private college counselling process; 100% of private seats go through WBMCC.

Security deposits (refundable):

College type	Category	Deposit
Government	UR / OBC	Rs 10,000
Government	SC / ST / EWS	Rs 5,000
Private	All categories	Rs 1,00,000

What happens after allotment

Once the allotment result is published on wbmcc.nic.in, follow these steps:

1. Download your allotment order from the WBMCC portal
2. Report to the allotted college within the deadline specified in the allotment notification (typically 3-4 days for Round 1, 3 days for Round 2)
3. Submit original documents at the college for verification
4. Pay the applicable tuition and hostel fees at the college
5. If you wish to be considered for upgradation in the next round, indicate this during reporting (available in Round 1 and Round 2 only)

Missing the reporting deadline means forfeiting your allotted seat. WBMCC does not extend individual deadlines.

Upgradation rules

Seat upgradation (moving to a higher-preference college) is available in Round 1 and Round 2. If you accepted a seat in Round 1, you can be upgraded to a better preference in Round 2.

No upgradation is available in Round 3 or the stray vacancy round. Whatever seat you receive in Round 3 is final.

Seat surrender rules

The surrender rules change with each round, so review them before accepting a seat.

• Round 1: Free exit. You can surrender your seat without any financial penalty and your security deposit is refunded.
• Round 2: Surrender is allowed, but you forfeit your admission fees. The security deposit policy for Round 2 surrender should be confirmed from the official WBMCC notification.
• Round 3 onwards: No seat surrender permitted. Once you accept a seat in Round 3 or the stray vacancy round, you are locked in for that academic year.

Key differences from AIQ counselling

	West Bengal state	MCC All India Quota
Rank used	NEET AIR (state merit list filtered from AIR)	NEET AIR
Reservation	SC 22% + ST 6% + OBC-A 10% + OBC-B 7% + EWS 10%	OBC 27% + SC 15% + ST 7.5% + EWS 10%
Eligibility	WB domicile (Proforma A1/A2/B)	Open to all India
Category system	UR, SC, ST, OBC-A, OBC-B, EWS	UR, OBC, SC, ST, EWS
Regular rounds	2-3 (varies by year) + mop-up + stray vacancy	3
Fees (govt colleges)	~Rs 9,000/year	Varies by state
Document verification	Offline (in-person)	Online
Private seat allocation	100% through WBMCC	Not applicable
Upgradation	R1 and R2 only	All rounds

Madhya Pradesh has 34 medical colleges for NEET-based state counselling, with approximately 4,875-5,200 MBBS seats across all rounds (exact totals vary by source and year; the DME seat chart and allotment data are the authoritative references).

Government vs private split

Type	Colleges	Approximate seats	Notes
Government	20	2,575-2,700	Includes several newly established colleges
Private	14	2,200-2,500	Concentrated in Bhopal and Indore
Total	34	4,875-5,200

The 20 government colleges include 6 legacy institutions (Gandhi Medical College Bhopal, Gajra Raja Medical College Gwalior, MGM Medical College Indore, NSCB Medical College Jabalpur, Shyam Shah Medical College Rewa, and Bundelkhand Medical College Sagar) plus 14 newer government colleges established over the past decade in district towns. ESIC Medical College Indore, a central government institution, participated in the 2025 mop-up round.

Government college tuition runs approximately Rs 1-1.14 lakh per year, according to DME fee notifications. With hostel, mess, and other charges, the annual cost reaches Rs 1.8-3 lakh.

Key cities for Madhya Pradesh medical colleges

Bhopal and Indore together account for nearly a third of the state’s medical colleges:

• Bhopal: 8 colleges (Gandhi Medical College plus 7 private institutions: People’s College of Medical Science, LN Medical College, Chirayu Medical College, RKDF Medical College, Mahaveer Institute, Mansarovar Medical College, and Ram Krishna Medical College Hospital). Bhopal is the largest cluster in the state.
• Indore: 5 colleges (MGM Medical College, Sri Aurobindo Institute, LNCT Medical College, Index Medical College, and ESIC Medical College)
• Jabalpur: 2 colleges (NSCB Medical College and Sukh Sagar Medical College)
• Gwalior, Rewa, Sagar, Ujjain: 1 college each (all government except RD Gardi Medical College Ujjain, which is private)
• District towns: Government medical colleges in Datia, Vidisha, Ratlam, Khandwa, Shahdol, Chhindwara, Shivpuri, Satna, Mandsaur, Seoni, Neemuch, Sheopur, and Singrauli

Recent capacity expansion

MP has added several new government medical colleges in 2024-2025. Government Medical College Sheopur and Government Medical College Singrauli both appeared in Round 2/Round 3 allotment data for 2025; they appear to have begun admitting students mid-cycle. The parser code also maps four “Government Autonomous College of Medical Sciences” entries in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Mandsaur, but none of these appeared in actual MBBS allotment data for 2024 or 2025. Their operational status for MBBS remains unconfirmed.

Private college fee ranges

Private college fees depend on the seat type:

Seat type	Annual fee (approximate)	5-year course total (approximate)
Government quota	Rs 7.5-10 lakh	Rs 37.5-50 lakh
Management quota	Rs 8-15 lakh	Rs 40-75 lakh
NRI quota	Rs 27-50 lakh	Rs 1.35-2.5 crore

Fee ranges are sourced from smartstudyweb.com and bodmaseducation.com; individual college fees should be verified from the official DME portal or Fee Regulatory Committee notifications.

For management quota seats, the edufever seat matrix data shows annual fees from Rs 8.18 lakh to Rs 14.09 lakh depending on the college. NRI quota fees are substantially higher; smartstudyweb.com and getmyuniversity.com cite Rs 90 lakh to Rs 2 crore for the full 4.5-year course.

The six legacy government colleges

The oldest government medical colleges in MP are long-running institutions with decades of operation, each attached to a teaching hospital:

1. Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal (code 101) — the oldest and most competitive government medical college in the state
2. Gajra Raja Medical College, Gwalior (code 102)
3. MGM Medical College, Indore (code 103)
4. NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur (code 104)
5. Shyam Shah Medical College, Rewa (code 105)
6. Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar (code 106)

These six are the most competitive for state quota admissions. The newer government colleges in district towns typically fill at higher NEET ranks (lower scores); many were established after 2015 and are still building teaching hospital capacity.

Private college highlights

Bhopal has the highest concentration of private medical colleges (7 out of 14). Indore has 3 private colleges. The remaining private colleges are distributed across Ujjain (RD Gardi), Dewas (Amaltas), Jabalpur (Sukh Sagar), and Sehore (Sri Satya Sai University).

All private college seats are filled through DME MP counselling for the state quota. Private colleges also run management quota and NRI quota admissions, both processed through the same DME platform.

Deemed universities

MP does not have deemed medical universities participating separately in MCC counselling the way Karnataka or Tamil Nadu do. All 34 colleges are admitted through DME MP state counselling (for the 85% state quota) or through MCC (for the 15% AIQ seats from government colleges).

The Madhya Pradesh NEET category list includes five base categories and several horizontal modifiers, creating a system of compound codes unique to the state. MP reserves approximately 60% of state quota medical seats for reserved categories. The remaining ~40% is available to unreserved (General) candidates.

Vertical reservation categories

Code	Category	Reservation %
UR	Unreserved / General	~40% (open seats)
ST	Scheduled Tribe	20%
SC	Scheduled Caste	16%
OBC	Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer)	14%
EWS	Economically Weaker Section	10%

MP’s ST reservation is 20%, higher than most other states with NEET counselling (for comparison, Tamil Nadu reserves 1% for ST and Karnataka 3%). The state’s large tribal population is concentrated in districts like Jhabua, Dhar, Mandla, and Balaghat. The SC reservation (16%) and OBC reservation (14%) are both higher than the corresponding central quotas used in AIQ counselling (reservation percentages sourced from edufever.com and neetsupport.com; official DME notification would confirm exact figures).

MP’s compound category code system

MP uses a distinctive three-part compound code format: BASE/MODIFIER/GENDER_OR_SEAT. This is more granular than most states.

The first part is the base category (UR, OBC, SC, ST, EWS). The second part is a modifier indicating any horizontal reservation. The third part indicates gender (M or F) for the candidate’s eligible category, or OP (Open) for the allotted seat category.

For example, SC/GS/F means a female Scheduled Caste candidate who studied in a government school. OBC/X/OP means an OBC seat allotment with no special sub-quota.

There are 74 unique compound codes in the 2025 R1 allotment data.

Modifier codes (second part of the compound)

Code	Meaning	Reservation
X	Standard domicile candidate (no special sub-quota)	—
GS	Government School	10% horizontal
FF	Freedom Fighter descendants	3% horizontal
SN	Sainik / Defence wards	3% horizontal
PH	Physically Handicapped / PwD	3-5% horizontal
NRI	NRI quota	Private colleges only

Horizontal reservation percentages (3% FF, 3% SN, 3-5% PH, 10% GS) are sourced from the edufever.com seat matrix page; official DME notifications may differ slightly.

Gender and seat-type indicators (third part)

Code	Meaning
M	Male candidate
F	Female candidate
OP	Open (allotted seat, regardless of gender)

The “Eligible Category” column in MP’s allotment lists uses M/F (e.g., UR/X/M = General male domicile candidate). The “Allotted Category/Class” column uses OP (e.g., UR/X/OP = allotted under General open seat).

Horizontal reservations in Madhya Pradesh NEET counselling

These quotas are layered on top of the vertical categories. A candidate from SC who also studied in a government school would hold the code SC/GS. A General male candidate with no special sub-quota would be UR/X/M.

Government School (GS) — 10%: Reserved for students who completed schooling entirely in MP government schools. This 10% horizontal quota is uncommon across states.

Female — 30%: MP applies a 30% horizontal reservation for female candidates within each category.

Freedom Fighter (FF) — 3%: Descendants of freedom fighters.

Sainik (SN) — 3%: Wards of military and defence personnel.

PwD (PH) — 3-5%: Persons with Disabilities. Requires a minimum 40% benchmark disability certificate. The exact percentage (3% or 5%) differs across web sources; the edufever seat matrix lists 3%.

What happens when reserved seats go unfilled

When seats reserved for a particular category are not filled, they convert to the next category in the reversion chain. In MP, unfilled ST seats revert to SC; unfilled SC seats revert to OBC; unfilled OBC seats revert to EWS; and unfilled EWS seats revert to the Unreserved (General) pool. This means General-category candidates may benefit from unfilled reserved seats in later rounds, and reserved-category seat counts can shift from the original allocation as each round progresses.

NRI category

NRI candidates are identified by codes like UR/NRI/M or UR/NRI/F. NRI allotments go exclusively to private colleges. In the allotted category column, NRI appears as a standalone code without the compound format. NRI quota seats constitute 15% of private college capacity.

How to determine your category

• UR (Unreserved): If your community is not listed in any reserved category and your family income is above the EWS threshold
• OBC: Per MP’s OBC list with a valid non-creamy layer certificate
• SC: Per the Scheduled Castes list for Madhya Pradesh, with a certificate from the competent authority
• ST: Per the Scheduled Tribes list for MP. Given the 20% reservation, this category covers a large share of seats
• EWS: Family income below Rs 8 lakh per annum and not belonging to SC/ST/OBC. Certificate valid for one financial year

If you also studied in an MP government school, your modifier becomes GS instead of X (e.g., OBC/GS/F instead of OBC/X/F). Defence wards hold SN; freedom fighter descendants hold FF.

Comparison with AIQ categories

MP state counselling	AIQ equivalent	Notes
UR	UR	Same concept
OBC	OBC	MP 14% vs AIQ 27%
SC	SC	MP 16% vs AIQ 15%
ST	ST	MP 20% vs AIQ 7.5%
EWS	EWS	Same 10%
PH suffix	PwD suffix	Same concept, different terminology
GS (Government School)	No equivalent	MP-specific
FF (Freedom Fighter)	No equivalent	MP-specific
SN (Sainik)	No equivalent	MP-specific

If you hold both an MP OBC certificate and a central OBC-NCL certificate, you can use the MP certificate for state counselling and the central certificate for AIQ.

The Madhya Pradesh NEET counselling process for 2026 is conducted by the Department of Medical Education (DME), Madhya Pradesh. DME runs a combined counselling for MBBS and BDS seats together under the banner “MP State Combined NEET UG Counselling.” The process covers 34 medical colleges with approximately 4,875-5,200 MBBS seats across all rounds (the R1 2025 allotment placed 4,073 candidates in MBBS, according to DME allotment data).

Official portal: dme.mponline.gov.in

How the MP NEET counselling rank system works

MP does not use your NEET All India Rank for state seat allotment. DME prepares its own merit list with two separate ranks for each registered candidate: a “Common Rank” and an “MP State Rank.” Both appear alongside your NEET AIR and NEET score in the allotment lists, but the MP State Rank determines your position in the state counselling queue.

Your MP State Rank will be lower than your AIR because only MP-eligible candidates are in the pool. A candidate with AIR 12,000 might hold MP State Rank 400 if fewer than 400 MP candidates scored higher.

When two candidates have the same NEET score, the one with higher marks in Biology is ranked above the other.

Who is eligible

Only MP domicile candidates can participate in the 85% state quota counselling. You qualify if:

• You are a permanent resident of Madhya Pradesh, OR
• You completed both Class 10 and Class 12 from a recognised school in MP

Non-domicile candidates cannot access state quota seats. They can apply only through the 15% All India Quota counselled by MCC.

Additional eligibility requirements:

• Minimum age: 17 years by 31 December of the admission year (maximum 25 years; 5-year relaxation for reserved categories)
• Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English
• Minimum 50% aggregate in PCB for General; 40% for reserved categories

Registration and choice filling

The registration process is online through the DME portal:

1. Pay Rs 1,000 (Rs 970 application fee + Rs 30 bank charges), non-refundable
2. Pay security deposit: Rs 5,000 for government colleges or Rs 1,00,000 for private colleges (refundable if you do not take admission)
3. Register and upload documents: NEET scorecard, Class 10 and 12 mark sheets, domicile certificate, category certificate, photographs
4. Fill choices (college-category combinations) in order of preference during the choice-filling window
5. Wait for allotment results

One important financial detail: MP imposes a Rs 30 lakh seat-leaving bond on candidates who withdraw after taking admission. This penalty applies regardless of the round.

Round-by-round timeline

MP runs 4 rounds of counselling:

Round 1 (July-August)

Registration and choice filling open shortly after NEET results. In 2025, registration ran from 21-29 July, choice filling from 31 July to 4 August, and the revised allotment list was published on 20 August (per the DME allotment PDF header). Reporting to allotted colleges followed within 3-5 days.

Round 2 (September)

Fresh registration window opens for candidates who missed Round 1. R1 allottees who want a better seat can opt for upgradation during the “Admission Cancellation / Upgradation Window” (opened after R1 allotment). Choosing “Yes (Float)” means DME will consider you for a higher-preference seat in Round 2 while keeping your current seat as backup. If you are upgraded, your R1 seat is released. If not, you continue with R1 allotment. The 2025 R2 allotment was published on 22 September.

Mop-up round (October-November)

Covers seats vacated after Rounds 1 and 2. Non-domicile candidates can participate in this round for remaining seats. The 2025 mop-up allotment was published on 5 November.

Stray vacancy round (November-December)

Fills any leftover vacancies. In 2025, the stray vacancy round ran through physical reporting at individual colleges rather than online allotment.

Exact dates shift each year. In 2024, R1 allotment was on 29 August, R2 on 25 September, and mop-up on 18 October. The 2024 R1 and R2 ran about 9 and 3 days later than the corresponding 2025 rounds, while the 2024 mop-up finished 18 days earlier than in 2025.

Quota structure and approximate seat distribution

MP’s seat distribution across government colleges:

• State quota (85%): Filled through DME MP counselling, restricted to MP domicile candidates. Approximately 2,200-2,300 government college MBBS seats fall under this quota.
• All India Quota (15%): Filled through MCC counselling, open to candidates from all states. Approximately 390-410 government MBBS seats.
• Management quota: Private college seats beyond the government quota allocation. Seat counts vary by college.
• NRI quota: 15% of private college seats, reserved for NRI candidates (private colleges only). Approximately 330-375 seats across all private colleges.

Total government MBBS seats are estimated at 2,575-2,700; private MBBS seats at 2,200-2,500 (according to DME seat chart data and web sources).

After allotment

Once allotted a seat:

1. Download your provisional allotment order from the DME portal
2. Report to the allotted college within the specified window
3. Submit original documents for physical verification
4. Pay the first-year fee

If you opted for upgradation, your R1 seat is automatically released only when you receive a preferred seat in the next round. If no upgrade happens, you continue at your current college with no action needed.

Key differences from AIQ counselling

	MP state counselling	MCC All India Quota
Rank used	MP State Rank	NEET AIR
Reservation	ST 20% + SC 16% + OBC 14% + EWS 10%	OBC 27% + SC 15% + ST 7.5% + EWS 10%
Eligibility	MP domicile only (R1, R2); non-domicile in mop-up	Open to all India
Category system	Compound codes (UR/X/OP, OBC/GS/F, etc.)	UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS + PwD
Rounds	4 (R1, R2, Mop-up, Stray)	3
Upgradation	Float option between rounds	Freeze/float/slide
Registration fee	Rs 1,000	Rs 1,500

Gujarat has 42 medical colleges offering approximately 6,450-6,700 MBBS seats through NEET-based counselling (2025 figures).

Government vs private: Gujarat medical colleges by type

Type	Colleges	Approximate seats
Government (traditional GMCs)	7	~1,550-1,700
Government (GMERS network)	13	~1,700-1,900
Government (other)	5	~500-550
Private	17	~2,700-2,550
Total	42	~6,450-6,700

The 25 government colleges include 7 traditional Government Medical Colleges (BJ Medical Ahmedabad, GMC Vadodara, GMC Bhavnagar, MP Shah Jamnagar, GMC Surat, PDU Rajkot, NHL Ahmedabad), the 13-college GMERS network, SMIMER Surat, Narendra Modi Medical College Ahmedabad, ESIC Medical College Ahmedabad, Shantabaa Medical College Amreli, and Government Medical College Silvassa.

Key cities

Medical colleges concentrate in major cities, with smaller GMERS campuses spread across district towns:

• Ahmedabad: 9 colleges (5 government + 4 private). Includes BJ Medical College (the oldest in Gujarat), NHL Municipal Medical College, GMERS Sola, Narendra Modi Medical College, ESIC, and four private institutions (GCS, MK Shah, SAL, Ananya Sanand)
• Vadodara: 3 colleges (GMC Vadodara, GMERS Gotri, Parul Medical College)
• Surat: 3 colleges (GMC Surat, SMIMER, Kiran Medical College)
• Rajkot: 2 colleges (PDU Government Medical College, MPK Boghara private)
• Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar: 1 government college each
• District towns: GMERS campuses in Himmatnagar, Junagadh, Godhra, Vadnagar, Valsad, Navsari, Patan, Morbi, Porbandar, and Rajpipla

The GMERS network

GMERS (Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society) is a government body that runs 13 medical colleges. These colleges were established over the past 10-15 years to expand government medical education beyond the seven legacy GMCs. They are government-run but charge higher fees than traditional GMCs, funded partly through student fees rather than entirely through state budgets.

GMERS colleges are located primarily in tier-2 and tier-3 towns, giving students from smaller cities access to government medical education closer to home.

Fee structure summary

College type	Quota	Annual fee (approximate)	5-year total
Traditional GMC	Government	₹25,000-40,000	~₹1.25-2 lakh
GMERS	Government	~₹7,50,000	~₹37.5 lakh
GMERS	Management	~₹24,00,000	~₹1.2 crore
Private	Government quota	₹6,00,000-8,50,000	~₹30-42.5 lakh
Private	Management	₹14,00,000-18,00,000	~₹70-90 lakh
Private	NRI	~₹18,00,000-21,00,000	~₹90 lakh-1.05 crore

Fee figures are approximate. GMERS fees were revised upward in 2024-25 (a 66% increase for government quota and 87% for management quota, partially rolled back by the state government). The Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC) sets private college fee caps.

Traditional GMCs remain the most affordable option by a significant margin. The gap between traditional GMCs (₹25,000-40,000 per year) and GMERS colleges (₹7.5 lakh per year) is substantial despite both being government-run.

Private college highlights

Gujarat’s 17 private medical colleges include established institutions such as Pramukhswami Medical College Karamsad (one of Gujarat’s oldest private medical colleges), GCS Medical College Ahmedabad, CU Shah Medical College Surendranagar, and ND Desai University Nadiad. Newer entrants include Adani Medical College Bhuj, Parul Medical College Vadodara, and Zydus Medical College Dahod.

All private college seats are filled through ACPUGMEC (state counselling). Private colleges offer three seat streams: government quota (regulated lower fees), management quota (higher fees, lower cutoffs), and NRI quota.

Deemed universities

Gujarat does not have deemed medical universities that participate in MCC’s AIQ counselling in the same way as Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Verify against the latest MCC seat matrix for the current year. All 42 colleges are admitted through the single ACPUGMEC state counselling process (for state quota) or through MCC (for the 15% AIQ seats from government colleges only).

This is the complete Gujarat NEET category list for medical admissions. Gujarat applies a total reservation of approximately 59%, leaving about 41% of seats unreserved for the Open category.

Category codes used in Gujarat counselling

Code	Category	Reservation
OP	Open / General (Unreserved)	~41%
SE (SEBC)	Socially and Educationally Backward Classes	27%
ST	Scheduled Tribe	15%
EW (EWS)	Economically Weaker Section	10%
SC	Scheduled Caste	7%

Gujarat uses “SEBC” (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) instead of the central “OBC” terminology. The SEBC reservation at 27% is identical in percentage to the central OBC quota, but the list of communities differs. Gujarat’s ST reservation (15%) is notably higher than the central ST quota (7.5%), reflecting the state’s larger tribal population in eastern and northern districts.

PwD category codes

Persons with Disabilities receive 5% horizontal reservation within each vertical category:

Code	Category
OPPH	Open – PwD
EWPH	EWS – PwD
SCPH	SC – PwD
SEPH	SEBC – PwD
STPH	ST – PwD

The “PH” suffix in Gujarat’s system stands for “Physically Handicapped” (legacy terminology; PwD is the current legal term). A minimum 40% benchmark disability certification is required.

How to determine your category

Your category for Gujarat NEET counselling is determined by your caste/income certificate issued by the competent authority:

• OP (Open): If your community is not listed in any reserved category
• SE (SEBC): Per Gujarat’s SEBC list (different from central OBC list). Requires a valid SEBC certificate and non-creamy layer certificate (family income below ₹8 lakh per annum, per central norms)
• SC: Per the Scheduled Castes list for Gujarat. Certificate issued by the Mamlatdar/Taluka Development Officer
• ST: Per the Scheduled Tribes list for Gujarat. Certificate from the competent authority
• EW (EWS): Family income below ₹8 lakh per annum (per central norms) AND not belonging to SC/ST/SEBC. Certificate valid for one financial year only; must be renewed annually

Seat vacancy conversion

When seats reserved for a category go unfilled after all counselling rounds, they typically convert to the Open (OP) category. The conversion chain in Gujarat typically follows this order:

ST (unfilled) → SC → SEBC → Open

EWS seats that remain vacant also revert to the Open category. This conversion happens progressively across rounds.

Horizontal reservations (applied across all categories)

These quotas cut across vertical categories and apply within each:

Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 5%

Applied horizontally within every vertical category. Candidates must hold a benchmark disability certificate (minimum 40%).

Government School Quota (GSQ): 10%

Reserved in government medical colleges for students who studied Class 1 through 12 entirely in government schools. This quota is specific to Gujarat and does not exist in most other states.

Local Scheduled Tribe (LST)

Additional reservation in tribal-region colleges. Applies specifically to colleges in areas with a significant tribal population in eastern and northern Gujarat.

Linguistic Minority (LQ)

Certain private colleges run by linguistic minority institutions (e.g., Jain Minority colleges) have a separate Linguistic Minority Quota. These seats appear as seat type “LQ” in allotment data and are open to candidates from the relevant linguistic minority community.

Ex-servicemen Quota: 1%

Specific to government colleges. Children and dependents of ex-servicemen are eligible.

How Gujarat categories differ from AIQ categories

Gujarat state counselling	AIQ equivalent	Notes
OP (Open)	UR (Unreserved)	Same concept
SE (SEBC)	OBC	Different community lists; same 27%
SC	SC	Same
ST	ST	Gujarat 15% vs AIQ 7.5%
EW (EWS)	EWS	Same 10%; same income criteria
OPPH / SEPH / SCPH / STPH / EWPH	UR-PwD / OBC-PwD / SC-PwD / ST-PwD / EWS-PwD	Same 5% horizontal
Government School Quota	No equivalent	Gujarat-specific
Linguistic Minority	No equivalent	State-level only

If you hold both a Gujarat SEBC certificate and a central OBC certificate (with NCL), you can use each in its respective counselling: the Gujarat certificate for state quota and the central OBC certificate for AIQ.