The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has issued Notice No. 07 for NEET UG 2026, addressed to all candidates who have claimed a reserved-category seat (SC, ST, VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, OBC, SBC or SEBC) while registering for MBBS and BDS admissions for the academic year 2026-27. The registration process is currently open, and reserved-category candidates must upload their Caste Validity Certificate (CVC) on the registration portal. Normally, this certificate is fetched automatically through an API link between the portal and the certificate-issuing authorities, but the CET Cell has found that this auto-fetch is failing for some candidates. This notice lays out the exact steps such candidates must follow to get their CVC uploaded so their registration is not held up. It is an instructional/procedural notice, not a new date or result — but missing these steps correctly can stall or jeopardise an admission claim.
If your Caste Validity Certificate is not auto-fetched on the registration portal, first check the certificate number format and application date against the CET Cell's rules — only if it still fails should you use the 01/01/2019 workaround to unlock manual upload, and any manually uploaded certificate remains subject to verification at any stage, with rejection of admission if found unauthentic.
Who this notice applies to
This notice is for NEET UG 2026 candidates who are registering for MBBS or BDS admission through Maharashtra's State CET Cell and have claimed admission under a reserved category — SC, ST, VJ (Vimukta Jati), NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, OBC, SBC or SEBC.
For such candidates, the registration portal has a section to upload the Caste Validity Certificate (CVC) — the document issued by the Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee that confirms your caste claim has been verified and is valid. Without a valid CVC on record, a reserved-category claim cannot be processed.
How the auto-fetch is supposed to work
The CET Cell has linked its registration portal with the offices that issue Caste Validity Certificates through what is called API integration — a direct data link between two systems. In theory, once your CVC is issued, it should appear automatically in your candidate login without you doing anything.
However, the CET Cell has found that this automatic fetch is not working for every candidate. This notice gives the fallback steps for those candidates.
Step 1: Check your Certificate Number is entered correctly
The very first thing to check is whether the Certificate Number you entered in your registration application exactly matches the number printed on your actual Caste Validity Certificate.
Every valid CVC number begins with the letters "ED", followed by the year and a certificate number — for example: ED-2026-XXXXXXXXX. A single wrong digit or a missing part of this number is enough to prevent the API from finding your certificate.
Step 2: Check your certificate's application date meets the cut-off
Even with a correct certificate number, the API will only fetch certificates that meet a minimum application-date requirement. This is the date on which you (or your family) originally applied for the Caste Validity Certificate — not the date it was issued.
The cut-off dates are different for ST candidates and for all other reserved categories, as shown below.
| Category | CVC application date must be on or after |
|---|---|
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 15/10/2025 |
| SC / VJ / NT-B / NT-C / NT-D / OBC / SBC / SEBC | 01/08/2020 |
Step 3: If it still doesn't fetch — the manual upload workaround
If your certificate number is correct and your application date meets the cut-off above, but the CVC still does not appear in your login, the CET Cell has given a specific workaround to unlock manual upload:
This sequence is designed purely to trigger the manual-upload option on the portal — entering 01/01/2019 does not mean your certificate needs to actually be that old; it is simply a technical trick built into the system.
- Go to the Caste Validity Certificate Details section on the registration portal.
- Enter 01/01/2019 as the Certificate Application Date (this is a placeholder date only, to trigger manual upload — it does not need to match your real certificate).
- Click the "Update" button, then click the "Close" button at the bottom of the page.
- The manual upload option should now appear in your login. If it does not appear immediately, log out and log back in.
- Scan your valid Caste Validity Certificate and upload it in the format and manner shown on the portal.
The trap: manually uploaded certificates can be rejected later
The CET Cell has explicitly warned that any certificate uploaded manually using the above steps is not a final approval — it remains liable to be checked and verified at any stage of the admission process.
If, on verification, the uploaded certificate is found to be unauthentic (not genuinely issued, tampered, or not matching official records), the candidate's admission may be declared rejected — even after a seat has been allotted or joined. Candidates must only upload a genuine, valid CVC that they actually hold; there is no shortcut around eventual verification.
Stick to the registration schedule
This notice reminds candidates that the CVC upload must be completed within the registration timeline already announced in Notice No. 3. This CVC-upload notice does not itself extend or change any deadline — it only explains the technical steps for uploading the document within the existing schedule.
Candidates should check Notice No. 3 (or the CET Cell portal) for the exact last date to complete registration and document upload for NEET UG 2026 MBBS/BDS admissions, and not wait until the last day to sort out certificate issues.
2 minute · Free preview
Which MBBS colleges can your NEET rank actually get?
See the real colleges your rank can reach — every state and All India Quota — with official closing ranks and the exact fee for each seat.
See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
My CVC is not showing up in my login. What should I check first?
First verify that the Certificate Number you typed into the registration form exactly matches the number on your physical Caste Validity Certificate (it should start with 'ED' followed by the year and a certificate number, e.g., ED-2026-XXXXXXXXX). Then check that your certificate's application date meets the required cut-off for your category.
What is the required application date for my CVC to be auto-fetched?
For ST candidates, the CVC application date must be 15/10/2025 or later. For SC, VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, OBC, SBC and SEBC candidates, it must be 01/08/2020 or later. If your certificate's application date is before these, the API may not fetch it automatically.
My certificate number and application date are both fine, but it still isn't fetched. What now?
Go to the Caste Validity Certificate Details section on the portal, enter 01/01/2019 as the Certificate Application Date, click 'Update' then 'Close'. This should unlock a manual upload option in your login (log out and log back in if it doesn't appear right away), where you can scan and upload your actual CVC.
Does entering 01/01/2019 mean my certificate needs to actually be that old?
No. That date is only a technical trigger built into the portal to unlock the manual upload facility. You should still upload your real, valid Caste Validity Certificate — the 01/01/2019 entry is not related to your certificate's actual date.
Can my admission be cancelled even after I upload my CVC manually?
Yes. The notice states that manually uploaded certificates remain subject to checking and verification at any stage of the admission process. If the certificate is found to be unauthentic, the admission can be declared rejected, so only upload a genuine certificate you actually hold.
Where do I find the exact last date to complete this CVC upload?
This notice does not itself set a new deadline. It says candidates must complete the CVC upload within the registration schedule already announced in Notice No. 3, so check that notice or the CET Cell portal for the exact date.
Does this notice apply to EWS candidates?
No. The notice specifically lists SC, ST, VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, OBC, SBC and SEBC categories. EWS candidates are not mentioned in this Caste Validity Certificate notice.
If you belong to a reserved category and your Caste Validity Certificate has not appeared automatically in your registration login, act now: check your certificate number and application date, and if needed use the manual upload workaround described above — but only with your genuine certificate. Keep an eye on the Notice No. 3 schedule so you complete this within the registration window, and watch the CET Cell portal for any further updates on NEET UG 2026 Maharashtra counselling.
Plan your admission with free AI tools
Turn your NEET score into a rank, then into the exact colleges you can get.