MCC Notice for PwBD Candidates: New Eligibility Certificate Process for NEET UG 2026 Counselling

MCC (the Medical Counselling Committee, which runs NEET UG counselling for MBBS/BDS seats) has issued an urgent notice for all candidates who want to claim a seat under the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category in NEET UG Counselling 2026. The notice forwards new guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on 27 July 2026, called the 'Guidelines on Assessment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) for Admission to the MBBS Course, 2026'. Under these guidelines, the certificate that PwBD candidates must obtain before counselling is now officially called an 'Eligibility Certificate' rather than a 'Disability Certificate', and it is based on an assessment of what the candidate can actually do (functional competency), not just the percentage of disability written on their UDID card. This is not a schedule or result — it is an instruction to PwBD candidates about a document they must obtain before they can be shown PwBD seat choices in counselling.

What changed: 'Disability Certificate' is now the 'Eligibility Certificate'

Earlier, PwBD candidates got what was commonly called a 'Disability Certificate' from a medical board. Under the new 2026 NMC guidelines, this document is officially renamed the 'Eligibility Certificate'.

The name change reflects a real change in how the board decides. The board will no longer decide eligibility purely by looking at the percentage of disability shown on your UDID card. Instead, it will assess your 'functional competency' — whether you can, with or without assistive devices and reasonable accommodation, perform the essential skills needed to complete the MBBS course safely.

This means two candidates with the same disability percentage on their UDID card could get different outcomes, depending on how they perform in the functional assessment.

Who needs to do this, and what happens if you don't

This applies to every candidate who wants to claim a seat under the PwBD category in NEET UG Counselling 2026 — whether under the All India Quota or under a state's own quota.

The rule is strict: only candidates who have obtained the Eligibility Certificate from a designated Medical Assessment Board of MCC will be shown PwBD seat choices during counselling. If you skip this step, you simply will not see PwBD seats to choose from, even if you are otherwise entitled to the category.

Documents you must carry to the Medical Assessment Board

To get the Eligibility Certificate, you must personally visit one of the designated Medical Assessment Boards and submit the following documents. Missing any one of these can delay or block your certificate.

• NEET UG 2026 score card that shows you are eligible for the MBBS course.
• Permanent UDID (Unique Disability Identity) Card issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India — a temporary or provisional UDID is not what is asked for; the notice specifies 'Permanent' UDID.
• Self-certified affidavit declaring your functional abilities, in the format specified in Schedule-I of the NMC guidelines. This will be verified by the board during your assessment.
• Self-Certification Affidavit (Appendix-A), plus an affidavit specific to your disability category, in the prescribed NMC format — Appendix-B (Hearing Impairment), Appendix-C (Locomotor Disability — Upper Extremity), Appendix-D (Locomotor Disability — Lower Extremity), Appendix-E (Mental Illness/Speech Disorders/Specific Learning Disorder/Autism Spectrum Disorder), or Appendix-F (Visual Disability), depending on your disability type.

How the board decides, and the three possible outcomes

The Medical Assessment Board evaluates your UDID card details together with your affidavits and, where needed, may require further clinical examination or functional evaluation. It looks at things like the nature and stability of your disability, whether assistive devices or accommodations would help, and whether the disability poses a real, evidence-based risk to patient safety — not general assumptions.

A key protection built into the new guidelines: no candidate can be declared ineligible solely because of the diagnosis, the category of disability, or the percentage of benchmark disability recorded in the UDID card. If a board wants to declare someone ineligible, it must record a written, reasoned order explaining exactly why — after considering reasonable accommodation and assistive technology.

At the end of assessment, the board issues an Eligibility Certificate marking you as one of three outcomes:

• Eligible — you can pursue MBBS without any special accommodation being noted.
• Eligible with Reasonable Accommodation — you are eligible, but the certificate specifies particular accommodations (assistive devices, adaptive aids, etc.) that should be provided to you.
• Ineligible — you are found unable to acquire the essential medical competencies even with reasonable accommodation; reasons must be recorded in writing.

The 40% rule and the traps to watch out for

To be eligible for PwBD reservation at all, you must have a benchmark disability of not less than 40%, as defined under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. This 40% threshold still decides whether you qualify for the reservation category in the first place — the functional assessment then decides your specific outcome (Eligible / Eligible with Accommodation / Ineligible) within that category.

Read the warnings in the MCC notice carefully — these are the points that most often cause candidates to lose their seat or face legal trouble.

• ⚠️ If your UDID Card or affidavit is found to be FAKE, your seat will be CANCELLED and legal action will be taken against you.
• ⚠️ The Eligibility Certificate is valid only for this academic session — you cannot reuse an old certificate from a previous year's counselling.
• ⚠️ You must go to a designated MCC Medical Assessment Board specifically — a certificate from any other doctor or hospital will not work for MCC counselling purposes.
• ⚠️ Not every listed centre handles every type of disability — some centres (see the list below) only certify specific disabilities, such as locomotor, or hearing, or speech. Going to the wrong centre for your disability type can waste your time before counselling deadlines.

List of designated Medical Assessment Boards (Annexure-1)

MCC's notice attaches a list of Medical Assessment Boards across the country where candidates can get the Eligibility Certificate. Some centres handle all disability categories; a few handle only specific disabilities, or exclude specific categories — check the notes column carefully before you travel to a centre. Candidates should confirm current addresses and appointment procedures with MCC/the centre directly, since the notice does not give operational details like timings or contact numbers.

If you're going through a state's own (85%) quota

Most states run their own counselling for the 85% state-quota seats, separate from the 15% All India Quota run by MCC. If you want a PwBD seat under your state's 85% quota, the notice says you can visit state medical assessment boards instead of MCC's centres.

But the evaluation itself must still follow the NMC Guidelines (2026) — meaning the same functional-competency approach applies, whichever board you visit. Check with your state counselling authority for the exact state board location and process.

What if you're declared ineligible?

The NMC guidelines set up an appeal route for candidates unhappy with the board's decision. If a Medical Assessment Board declares you ineligible (or you disagree with its findings), you may appeal before the Appellate Authority constituted by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The exact timeline and manner of filing the appeal will be notified separately by MCC — the notice does not specify a deadline for this.

The Appellate Authority can call for your records, order a fresh assessment by an expert, seek additional medical opinion, or conduct further examination before passing its own reasoned, written order. Its decision is final for counselling and admission purposes, unless a court says otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

If you plan to claim a PwBD seat in NEET UG Counselling 2026, don't wait until choice-filling to sort this out — locate the nearest designated Medical Assessment Board suited to your disability type, gather every document listed above (especially the correct Appendix affidavit for your disability category), and get your Eligibility Certificate well in advance. Keep checking the MCC counselling website for any further notified centres, appeal procedures, or dates.