The Uttarakhand NEET category list and reservations apply only to state-quota seats in the centralised counselling run by HNB Uttarakhand Medical Education University (HNBUMU). No reservation applies to the All India Open Quota seats. The one rule that decides everything below is this: reservation is open only to candidates who are domicile or permanent residents of Uttarakhand. Schooling in the state is enough to be eligible for a state-quota seat, but only a domicile holder can claim a reserved category.
The full counselling mechanics (rounds, fees, choice filling) and the documents checklist are covered in separate guides. This one is about who counts as which category, and how the quotas are applied.
The vertical categories
HNBUMU recognises the standard set of reserved categories for the Uttarakhand state quota, alongside the open or unreserved pool:
- Open / Unreserved (UR)
- Scheduled Caste (SC)
- Scheduled Tribe (ST)
- Other Backward Class (OBC)
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
The reservation is governed by Government of Uttarakhand order No-124/XXX(2)/2025-53(01)/2001 dated 22 May 2020, and a 100-point roster has been applied college-wise since the 2020-21 session and carried forward to later sessions. The bulletin does not print a single statewide percentage for each category; the split is worked out per college through the roster. The category-wise percentages are set by the Uttarakhand government’s reservation policy, and the policy in force on the day of counselling applies, so confirm the current figures against the state policy or the bulletin for your cycle before you plan around them.
Domicile is the gate to every reserved category
Only an Uttarakhand domicile or permanent-resident candidate can claim SC, ST, OBC or EWS benefit, or any sub-category or horizontal benefit. If you claim a reserved category you must upload two certificates together: the caste or category certificate, and the Uttarakhand domicile or permanent-resident certificate, both issued by the competent authority of the Uttarakhand government. A category certificate from any other state’s authority does not work here.
The consequences of getting this wrong are spelt out in the bulletin. If either certificate is not from the competent Uttarakhand authority, or you cannot produce the originals at admission, you lose the reservation and are treated as an unreserved candidate, provided you still meet the UR eligibility. A non-domicile candidate who was schooled in Uttarakhand is eligible for a state-quota seat but is not entitled to any reservation and pays the full unreserved security amount.
How to read your own category
Your category for Uttarakhand counselling follows the certificate issued by the competent revenue authority of Uttarakhand:
- SC / ST: per the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes list, with the caste certificate plus Uttarakhand domicile.
- OBC: per the Uttarakhand OBC list, with the OBC certificate plus domicile. The OBC certificate must be valid (see the validity rule below).
- EWS: for candidates not covered by SC, ST or OBC who meet the economic criteria, with the EWS certificate plus domicile.
- Open / UR: if you hold no valid reserved-category claim, or if you are eligible on schooling but not domicile.
During the online form you declare your reserved category and, where it applies, your sub-category, but only if you are a domicile or permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
The OBC certificate has an expiry you can miss
An Uttarakhand OBC certificate is valid for only three years from its date of issue, under state order No 310/XVII-2/16-02(OBC)/2012 dated 26 February 2016. It must still be valid up to your round of counselling and the last date of admission for the session. A claim made on an expired OBC certificate is summarily rejected during counselling and you are then considered as unreserved. Check the date on your certificate well before the season and get a fresh one if it is close to lapsing.
Sub-categories and how they are allotted
Where you qualify for more than one sub-category reservation, the bulletin allots the seat in decreasing percentage of sub-categories. If no eligible candidate is available in a sub-category, those vacant seats are filled by open candidates of the same parent category in Round III, except for the PH sub-quota. If a category still has vacancies beyond its reservation, those seats are made available to other categories in Round III, under the Government of Uttarakhand order dated 25 August 2017.
Horizontal reservations
These quotas apply across the vertical categories rather than as separate blocks of seats.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD): 4%
For PwD candidates who are domicile holders of Uttarakhand, 4% of seats are reserved college-wise in each category, as a horizontal reservation under NMC, DCI and Government of India norms. These candidates are also considered, on merit, for open seats of their own category in addition to the disability seats. The disability is determined per the latest NMC and Government of India guidelines, and the certificate must come from an NMC-designated medical board, not a generic disability card or a district board. The qualifying-exam aggregate for General-PH and EWS-PH candidates is 45%.
Defence Personnel Wards (DPW)
This reservation applies only to a dependent of an ex-serviceman, with the certificate from the competent authority. Two groups are explicitly excluded: dependents of in-service defence personnel, and dependents of ex-servicemen of paramilitary forces. Like every reserved category, DPW is open only to Uttarakhand domicile holders.
Wards of Kashmiri Migrants: the quota that needs no domicile
The Wards of Kashmiri Migrants (WKM) quota is the one exception to the domicile rule. One seat is reserved in each government medical college of Uttarakhand, four seats in total. Uttarakhand domicile is not required. To claim it you upload three self-attested documents: the certificate of registration as a Kashmiri Migrant from the Relief Commissioner, Jammu or the competent authority of Uttarakhand; proof of property in Kashmir of the candidate’s parent; and proof of current residence, such as a ration card, election photo identity card, driving licence, Aadhaar card or passport. Documents in a language other than English or Hindi need a notarised English translation, and they are emailed to the counselling board by the dates notified for each round.
A Kashmiri-migrant candidate who does not otherwise meet the state-quota criteria is eligible only for these WKM seats and for the All India Open Quota seats. Allotment is on NEET UG merit. If no eligible WKM candidate is available, the seats are filled by unreserved candidates in Round III.
State category certificates and the All India Quota
As an Uttarakhand candidate you are considered for both the state quota under HNBUMU and the 15% All India Quota under the MCC. The category certificates work differently across the two. Your Uttarakhand caste or category certificate is for the state quota only. For the All India Quota, an OBC claim needs a certificate on the Central OBC-NCL list in the central format; an Uttarakhand OBC certificate is not accepted there. If you plan to use both routes, arrange a central-list OBC-NCL certificate as well as your state certificate.
| Uttarakhand state counselling | All India Quota equivalent |
|---|---|
| UR / Open | UR (Unreserved) |
| OBC (Uttarakhand list) | OBC-NCL (Central list, central format) |
| SC | SC |
| ST | ST |
| EWS | EWS |
| PwD (4% horizontal, domicile only) | PwD (per MCC, separate certificate) |
| Defence Personnel Wards (ex-serviceman only) | No direct equivalent in the open quota |
| Wards of Kashmiri Migrants (no domicile needed) | No equivalent |