NEET MDS 2026 Qualifying Cutoff Slashed by 20.576 Percentile Across All Categories

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has officially announced a significant reduction in the qualifying percentile for the NEET MDS 2026 examination. Across all categories, the qualifying cutoff has been lowered by 20.576 percentile, a move designed to ensure that postgraduate dental seats remain filled and that eligible candidates have a broader opportunity to secure admission for the 2026-27 academic session.

This policy adjustment applies universally to all candidate groups, including General, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD). By revising these eligibility criteria, the ministry aims to address the issue of vacant seats in dental colleges, allowing students who previously fell short of the initial cutoff to now participate in the upcoming counselling process.

Revised Cutoff Percentiles and Counselling Updates

Following the ministry's directive, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has been tasked with releasing updated NEET MDS results that reflect these new eligibility standards. Simultaneously, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is preparing to announce a revised schedule for the NEET MDS 2026 counselling process to accommodate the newly qualified candidates.

Under the revised criteria, the qualifying percentile for the General (UR/EWS) category has been adjusted to 29.424, down from the previous 50. For candidates in the SC, ST, and OBC categories, including those with disabilities, the new requirement is 19.424, reduced from 40. Additionally, the cutoff for the UR-PwD category has been set at 24.424, compared to the earlier 45. These changes are intended to streamline the admission process and ensure that dental institutions can effectively fill their available postgraduate seats.

While the reduction in the cutoff expands the pool of eligible applicants, the final admission of any candidate remains subject to their merit rank, the preferences submitted during the choice-locking phase, and the total number of seats available at participating dental colleges. The MCC is expected to release the updated counselling schedule for the remaining rounds shortly, and candidates are advised to monitor official channels for the latest notifications regarding the next steps in the admission cycle.