The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, Mumbai, has issued Notice No. 02 for NEET UG 2026, addressed directly to candidates who want an MBBS or BDS seat in Maharashtra for the academic year 2026-27. This is not a counselling schedule or a result — it is an advance-preparation notice. It tells candidates that the Centralized Admission Process (CAP) for Health Science undergraduate courses in Government, Government-Aided, Unaided, and Minority colleges will start soon, and it attaches a complete list of certificates and documents every candidate must upload or submit during online registration. The notice also carries an important update for SEBC and OBC candidates about extra time to submit their Caste Validity Certificate. There are no counselling dates in this notice yet — its purpose is purely to make sure candidates are not caught without the right paperwork once registration opens.
Before CAP registration opens, every NEET UG 2026 candidate applying for Maharashtra MBBS/BDS seats must collect all 19 categories of documents listed by the CET Cell — because uploading proof for every claim made during registration is mandatory, not optional.
What this notice actually is
This is Notice No. 02 under the NEET UG 2026 admission process run by the Maharashtra State CET Cell. It confirms that admission to Health Science undergraduate courses (MBBS, BDS and related health science UG courses) in the state will be done through CAP — the Centralized Admission Process — based purely on NEET UG 2026 merit.
The notice does not open registration and does not give any dates for CAP rounds. It simply warns candidates that CAP 'will commence shortly' and that they should have every required certificate ready in advance, because the online registration process will require candidates to upload proof for every claim (category, domicile, minority status, disability, defence quota, etc.) they wish to use during admission.
Why this matters even before registration opens
Many of the certificates on this list — caste validity, non-creamy layer, EWS, disability, domicile — are issued by different government departments and can take weeks or months to obtain. The CET Cell is explicitly warning candidates: do not wait for registration to start before applying for these certificates. If a certificate is missing at the time of document verification or upload, the corresponding claim (reservation, quota, fee concession) can be rejected, even if the candidate is genuinely eligible.
Complete document checklist for CAP registration
The table below reproduces the full list of 19 document categories from the notice, exactly as issued. Candidates should check which rows apply to them and start collecting those documents now.
| No. | Document / Certificate |
|---|---|
| 1 | NEET UG 2026 Admit Card |
| 2 | NEET UG 2026 Score Card |
| 3 | S.S.C. (10th) or equivalent passing certificate |
| 4 | H.S.C. (12th) or equivalent examination mark sheet |
| 5 | Nationality certificate |
| 6 | Domicile Certificate |
| 7 | Medical fitness certificate as per Information Brochure Annexure |
| 8 | Leaving Certificate / Transfer Certificate |
| 9 | Caste Certificate (for SC, ST, VJ/DT-NT(A), NT(B), NT(C), NT(D), SEBC, OBC, SBC candidates) |
| 10 | Caste Validity Certificate (for SC, ST, VJ/DT-NT(A), NT(B), NT(C), NT(D), SEBC, OBC, SBC candidates) |
| 11 | Non-Creamy Layer Certificate (for VJ/DT-NT(A), NT(B), NT(C), NT(D), SEBC, OBC, SBC candidates) |
| 12 | EWS (Economically Weaker Section) Certificate — Maharashtra State format ONLY |
| 13 | Orphan Certificate — issued by Women and Child Welfare Department |
| 14 | Person with Benchmark Disability Certificate — issued by an Authorized Medical Board notified by MCC |
| 15 | Defence Certificate as per Information Brochure Annexure |
| 16 | Hilly Area documents (see below) |
| 17 | Maharashtra–Karnataka Border (MKB) documents (see below) |
| 18 | Minority Status documents (see below) |
| 19 | Aadhaar Card / PAN Card / Passport |
Special-category document sets — read carefully
Some categories need more than one document, and each document must satisfy specific conditions. Missing even one part can invalidate the whole claim.
- Hilly Area category: (1) Dongari (hilly area) certificate of the parent/candidate; (2) Domicile certificate of the parent showing domicile in a village declared as a hilly area; (3) The candidate must have passed SSC/HSC (or equivalent) from a school/junior college situated in that hilly area, or at most from one situated in the taluka of the parent's domicile.
- Maharashtra–Karnataka Border (MKB) category: (1) Domicile certificate of the candidate from the MKB area, issued by the Karnataka state; (2) A certificate from the college/school principal or headmaster confirming the candidate's mother tongue is Marathi.
- Minority Status claim: (1) School leaving certificate stating the candidate belongs to the Jain/Muslim/Christian minority or mentioning mother tongue; OR (2) a certificate from a religious institution confirming the minority, PLUS (3) an affidavit declaring the minority claimed; (4) for linguistic minorities, if the school leaving certificate does not mention mother tongue, a separate school certificate recording it is needed; (5) an affidavit is required for Gujarati/Sindhi/Hindi linguistic minority claims.
The EWS trap: Central format certificates will be rejected
This is one of the clearest warnings in the notice: for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, only a certificate issued in the Maharashtra State Government format will be accepted. A certificate issued in the Central Government format — the kind many candidates already have from national-level processes — will NOT be accepted for Maharashtra CAP admission. Candidates claiming EWS reservation must specifically obtain the Maharashtra state-format EWS certificate well before registration.
Important relief for SEBC and OBC candidates: 6-month extension for Caste Validity Certificate
The notice carries a General Administration Department Government Resolution dated 2 July 2026, which grants SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Class) and OBC candidates a six-month extension — counted from the date of their application — to submit the Caste Validity Certificate for 2026-27 admissions.
This means such candidates can, if needed, get admitted provisionally against their category claim even without the Caste Validity Certificate in hand at the time of registration, provided they submit it within six months of applying.
However, the notice is very strict about the consequence of missing this window: if the Caste Validity Certificate is not submitted within the extended six-month period, the candidate's admission will be CANCELLED. The candidate will be solely responsible for this cancellation, and if the resulting vacant seat is lost, the candidate becomes liable for the penalty clause described in the Information Brochure. This extension does not apply to the Caste Certificate itself or to the Non-Creamy Layer certificate — only to the Caste Validity Certificate for SEBC/OBC.
What has NOT been announced yet
This notice does not contain the CAP registration start date, the schedule of counselling rounds, seat matrix, or fee details. It only lists documents to prepare. Candidates should keep watching the CET Cell's NEET UG 2026 counselling page for the actual registration notice, which will carry dates and step-by-step instructions.
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
Has Maharashtra CAP registration for MBBS/BDS 2026 started?
No. This notice only announces that CAP will 'commence shortly' and lists the documents to prepare. No registration dates have been announced yet.
Which EWS certificate format is valid for Maharashtra admission?
Only the Maharashtra State Government format EWS certificate is accepted. A Central Government format EWS certificate will not be accepted, so candidates must obtain the state-format certificate specifically.
I am an OBC candidate and don't have my Caste Validity Certificate yet — can I still register?
Yes. Under the Government Resolution dated 2 July 2026, SEBC/OBC candidates get six months from their date of application to submit the Caste Validity Certificate. But you must submit it within that period, or your admission will be cancelled and you will bear the penalty for any resulting vacant seat.
Does the six-month extension also apply to SC/ST candidates for Caste Validity Certificate?
The notice specifically names SEBC and OBC candidates for this six-month extension. It does not mention SC/ST getting the same relief, so SC/ST candidates should follow the standard requirement of submitting the Caste Validity Certificate along with other documents.
What documents do I need for the disability (PwBD) quota?
A Person with Benchmark Disability certificate issued by an Authorized Medical Board notified by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is required — not just any medical certificate.
I belong to a Hilly Area — what exactly do I need to prove that?
Three things: a Dongari (hilly area) certificate of the parent/candidate, a domicile certificate of the parent showing residence in a notified hilly-area village, and proof that you passed SSC/HSC from a school/junior college in that hilly area (or, at most, in the taluka of the parent's domicile).
Can I use my school leaving certificate alone to claim minority status?
Only if it clearly mentions your religion or mother tongue. If it doesn't, you also need a certificate from a religious institution or your school (for mother tongue), plus a supporting affidavit.
What identity documents are accepted besides Aadhaar?
The notice lists Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, or Passport as acceptable identity documents.
Start collecting every certificate that applies to your category right now — many of these (caste validity, EWS state-format, domicile, disability board certificate) take weeks to issue and cannot be arranged overnight once CAP registration opens. Keep checking the Maharashtra CET Cell's NEET UG 2026 page for the actual registration schedule, which will follow this notice.
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