NEET Reservation Criteria 2026 for OBC, EWS, SC, and ST Candidates

NEET 2026 reservation for OBC is 27 per cent, for SC is 15 per cent, for ST is 7.5 per cent and for EWS is 10 per cent. Check NEET reservation criteria for general, SC, ST, OBC and EWS in 15% All India Quota for UG medical/dental courses. Know the detailed NEET UG reservation criteria here.

NEET Reservation for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and General

NEET Reservation Criteria 2026: The National Testing Agency (NTA) will soon conduct the NEET UG 2026 exam for admissions to undergraduate medical and allied courses. Candidates who will clear the exam will be called for the NEET counselling 2026 for admission process. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will conduct the NEET 2026 counselling process soon after the results declaration. The NEET counselling process is the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats. However, there is reservation in NEET for reserved category candidates. 

As per the norms, there is a 27 per cent OBC reservation in NEET quota, 15 per cent for SC, 10 per cent for EWS and 7.5 per cent for ST category. This NEET reservation criteria is applicable for counselling of 15 per cent Under Graduate (UG) All India Quota seats for MBBS/ BDS and other courses. Check here the NEET reservation criteria 2026 for OBC, SC, ST and EWS categories. Medical aspirants who will be appearing for NEET 2026 must be aware of category-wise NEET reservation norms and percentage.

NEET Reservation Criteria 2026 for 15% AIQ Seats

The medical, dental and allied courses seats under 15 per cent All India Quota are allotted through the MCC NEET counselling based on the reservation criteria fixed by the Government of India in 2021. The table below brings the NEET reservation criteria for OBC, EWS, SC, ST and PwD categories:

NEET Reservation for OBC

The OBC quota in NEET benefits a large number of OBC Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) category students. The NEET reservation for OBC is 27 per cent, as per 2021 reservation norms. Hence, while applying for NEET counselling rounds, candidates must ensure that they have all the required documents, without which they would not be considered eligible for the reservation.

Before the implementation of 2021 norms, 27 per cent OBC reservation in NEET was only the for National Institutes or Central Universities, which reduced their scope of admission for the rest of the MBBS and BDS colleges.

NEET Reservation for EWS

There is a reservation of 10 per cent seats in NEET 2026 for EWS category. As far as the NEET reservation for EWS category is concerned, to fulfill the eligibility criteria, candidates should not possess the property details or the annual income shared below:

• The annual income of candidates’ families should not exceed INR 8 lakh

• Candidates’ families should not own five acres of agricultural land or above

• Candidates’ families should not own a residential flat of 1,000 square feet or above

• Candidates’ family members should not own a residential plot of 100 square yards and above in notified municipalities

• Candidates’ families should not own residential plots of 200 square yards and above in areas other than the notified municipalities

NEET Reservation for PwD

Candidates who consider themselves eligible for this category are advised to ensure their eligibility by getting themselves examined at any Government Medical College/District Hospital/Government Hospital. Such a Government Medical College/District Hospital/Government Hospital shall issue a Disability Certificate.

After this, candidates, upon selection under the PwD Category, will have to produce a Disability Certificate issued by the Disability Assessment Board. Hence, it is important for the candidates to appear before the Disability Assessment Board so as to determine whether they may register or participate in the common online Counselling towards admission in medical courses, after the declaration of the NEET result.

In case candidates are considered ineligible by the Disability Assessment Board, they may not register or participate in the common online Counselling, and any online provisional allotment of the medical college shall be entirely fraudulent on the part of the candidate. Physical verification of various certificates, including academic and Disability, will be done upon reporting for admission to the medical college.

NEET 2026 Reservation Criteria: List of Colleges under 15% AIQ Seats

The colleges or institutes that take admissions through NEET reservation criteria are given below:

• AIIMS Institutes
• Central Universities/ ESIC
• AFMC
• JIPMER

However, candidates must note that there is no reservation for OBC/ SC/ ST/ PWD/EWS candidates in Deemed Universities.

Reservation in NEET 2026: 85% State Quota Seats

The information shared above regarding the NEET reservation criteria is valid for 15% AIQ seats. However, the rest of the 85 per cent seats are reserved for the State Quota in NEET UG exam. Each state has its category-wise reservation policies or criteria. Candidates get to know the reservation policy of the respective state through the release of the information brochure of the counselling process. 

Read More:

• Government MBBS Seats Available Through NEET
• List of Dental Colleges Accepting NEET Scores in India