Tamil Nadu applies 69% reservation in medical admissions, the highest among Indian states. This percentage is constitutionally protected through the Ninth Schedule and is exempt from the Supreme Court’s 50% cap that applies elsewhere.
Category codes used in TN counselling
| Code | Category | Reservation |
|---|---|---|
| OC | Open Competition (General) | 31% (unreserved) |
| BC | Backward Class | 26.5% |
| BCM | Backward Class (Muslim) | 3.5% |
| MBC&DNC | Most Backward Class & Denotified Communities | 20% |
| SC | Scheduled Caste | 15% |
| SCA | Scheduled Caste (Arunthathiyar) | 3% |
| ST | Scheduled Tribe | 1% |
The SC total is 18%, of which 3% is reserved specifically for the Arunthathiyar community (under Tamil Nadu Act No. 4 of 2009). The remaining 15% goes to other Scheduled Caste communities.
BC and BCM together account for 30%. BCM (3.5%) is earmarked for Muslim candidates within the Backward Class classification.
How to determine your category
Your category for TN NEET counselling is determined by your community certificate issued by the Tahsildar. The certificate must be in the candidate’s name (not parent’s). Key points:
- OC: If your community is not listed in any reserved category list
- BC/BCM: Per the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes list (updated periodically by the BC Commission)
- MBC&DNC: Per the MBC&DNC list maintained by the state
- SC/SCA: Per the Scheduled Castes list for Tamil Nadu (SCA specifically for Arunthathiyar communities in Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi districts)
- ST: Per the Scheduled Tribes list for Tamil Nadu
A fresh community certificate is not required each year; existing certificates remain valid as long as there are no changes to your community’s classification.
Seat vacancy conversion
When seats reserved for a category go unfilled, they convert in this chain:
ST → SC → MBC&DNC → BC → OC
Unfilled ST seats move to SC first, then unfilled SC seats move to MBC&DNC, continuing up the chain. This conversion happens after each round’s allotment is finalized.
Horizontal reservations (applied across all categories)
These quotas cut across vertical categories and apply within each:
7.5% Government School Quota
Introduced in 2020 for students who studied Class 6 through 12 entirely in Tamil Nadu government schools. A separate merit list is published for this quota. Candidates compete in both the general merit and government school quota simultaneously.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
5% of seats are reserved for candidates with benchmark disabilities (minimum 40% disability). Applies across all categories.
Ex-servicemen and Sports
Specific seats are allocated through offline special counselling conducted before the online general rounds.
How TN categories differ from AIQ categories
| TN state counselling | AIQ equivalent |
|---|---|
| OC | UR (Unreserved) |
| BC + BCM | OBC (but TN splits Muslim BC separately) |
| MBC&DNC | No direct equivalent (part of OBC at central level) |
| SC | SC |
| SCA | No equivalent (TN-specific sub-quota) |
| ST | ST |
| — | EWS (TN does not apply EWS; uses its own 69% structure) |
Tamil Nadu does not recognize the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) category in state counselling. The 10% EWS reservation applies only in AIQ seats.
If you hold both a state community certificate and an OBC/SC/ST certificate valid for central purposes, you can use each in its respective counselling (TN community certificate for state quota; central certificate for AIQ).