OJEE Odisha MBBS/BDS 2026 Counselling Guidelines: Eligibility, Documents, Fees & Registration Process

The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination Board (OJEE) has published the detailed guidelines and instructions for counselling and admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the 2026-27 session. This is not a schedule with dates yet — it is the rulebook that explains who can apply for Odisha's state quota seats, what documents are needed, how the reservation system works, and how the three rounds of online counselling will run. It applies to NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who are native to Odisha (or children of All India Civil Service officers posted in Odisha) seeking admission to 85% of seats in government medical/dental colleges and 100% of seats in private medical/dental colleges of the state, through counselling at www.ojee.nic.in.

Who is eligible for Odisha's MBBS/BDS state quota

OJEE counselling is only for candidates who qualify NEET UG 2026 and meet Odisha's own domicile and academic conditions. Simply having a NEET rank does not guarantee a seat — allotment depends on rank, seat availability, and the choices a candidate locks during counselling.

• Age: at least 17 years as on 31.12.2026. There is no upper age limit.
• Domicile: must be a permanent native of Odisha, OR a child of an All India Civil Service officer serving in the Odisha cadre.
• Academics: must have passed 10+2 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English (even as an additional subject), from a board recognised by the concerned government.
• Minimum NEET percentile: General (GE) — 50th percentile; GE-EWS — 50th percentile; PwBD-GE — 45th percentile; GE-EWS with PwBD — 45th percentile; ST/SC — 40th percentile; SEBC — 50th percentile; PwBD candidates of SC/ST/SEBC — 40th percentile. These are subject to change if NMC/Government of India issues a fresh notification.
• NRI quota: open to both Odisha-domicile and outside-state NRI candidates who qualify NEET UG 2026, but eligibility follows a Supreme Court-defined test (parent, first-degree relative, or a specified 'nearest relation' must be NRI and ordinarily residing abroad, and must be proven to be the candidate's bona fide guardian under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, with an affidavit).

Reservation categories and percentages

Odisha follows its own state reservation policy for these seats. Some categories are vertical (compete only within their group) and some are horizontal (cut across all groups, including unreserved).

• SC/ST seats are not interchangeable — a vacant SC seat cannot go to an ST candidate and vice versa.
• If a sub-category (ES/GC/PwBD/SGS) has no eligible candidate, the seat goes back to the parent category (e.g., an unfilled SC-PwBD seat goes to SC, not to General).
• If a whole reserved category has no eligible candidate, its vacant seats are opened to Unreserved (this applies to SC, ST, SEBC, EWS, and NRI categories).
• NRI seats are filled in order: Odisha-domicile NRI candidates first, then NRI candidates from outside Odisha, and only then eligible Unreserved state candidates if seats still remain.

Certificate rules that can get an application rejected

This is the part where candidates most often lose seats — the notice is strict about which certificates are acceptable and when they must be issued. Read this section carefully before uploading anything.

• To claim ST/SC/SEBC/EWS or any sub-category (ES/PwBD/GC/SGS), the candidate must be a native of Odisha and upload a Resident/Nativity Certificate issued online by the appropriate state authority.
• ST/SC/SEBC/EWS category certificates must also be issued online by the appropriate Odisha Government authority — certificates from any other state will not be accepted for reservation in Odisha.
• The original category certificate must be produced again at physical document verification during counselling, in addition to the online copy uploaded earlier.
• EWS candidates must submit an Income & Asset Certificate from a Tahsildar/Additional Tahsildar, and it must specifically be for the 2025-26 financial year — an older EWS certificate will not be accepted.
• Ex-Servicemen (ES) candidates do not apply through OJEE directly. They must apply to the Rajya Sainik Board, Bhubaneswar, with their NEET roll number; only candidates on the Board's verified list are treated as valid ES candidates. Candidates whose parents are still serving in defence are NOT eligible for ES reservation.
• Green Card reservation requires the original green card issued to a parent by the Government of Odisha. The name and date of birth on the card must exactly match the HSC (Class 10) certificate — any mismatch disqualifies the claim, and no affidavit can override this. Tampered or mutilated cards are rejected outright.
• PwBD candidates must appear physically before the Medical Assessment Board at SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack; its decision is final and binding. They do not need to upload any supporting document for this category.
• NRI/OCI candidates must upload a certificate from the concerned Indian Diplomatic Mission in their country of residence.
• SGS (State Government School) reservation is only for candidates who passed Class 10 from a Board of Secondary Education, Odisha Government/Government-aided school AND Class 12 from a Government/Government-aided Higher Secondary School or Government Junior College in Odisha.
• Providing false information or a fake/concealed certificate leads to rejection of the application, cancellation of admission, possible legal action, and a three-year ban from participating in future admission processes.

Documents you must have ready

Keep scanned PDF copies of all the following ready before starting registration, since the process cannot be completed without uploading them in the prescribed format.

• Class 10th Certificate (used for date of birth verification)
• Class 12th Marksheet
• Class 12th Certificate
• NEET-UG 2026 Rank Card
• Photograph
• Nativity Certificate / Residence Certificate (proof of being a native of Odisha)
• Category certificate for reservation, if claiming SC/ST/SEBC/GC/EWS (PwBD and ES candidates report to their respective Boards instead of uploading a certificate)
• A properly prepared and signed Bond (on non-judicial stamp paper of Rs. 21, in the government-prescribed format)

How online registration and counselling work

Registration is separate from and in addition to the NEET UG registration you already completed with NTA. Without OJEE registration, a candidate cannot enter the Odisha State Merit List or take part in counselling at all.

The process: log in to ojee.nic.in, click 'Counselling for MBBS and BDS Courses', go to 'New Candidate Registration', accept the terms, and enter your NEET-UG application number, name, date of birth, gender and the security PIN shown on screen. Once these details are authenticated against NTA records, your basic profile is prefilled. You then add your mobile number, email ID and set a password, and complete registration by paying Rs. 1,000 as a non-refundable registration fee through the available online payment gateways.

After payment, you must go to 'Upload Documents/Images' and upload every required document as a clear PDF scan of the original, following the size and file-naming rules on the portal (no special characters in file names).

During verification, a Verifying Officer may raise a query if something looks wrong. You must respond within 24 hours of the query being raised — missing this deadline cancels your verification and keeps you out of the State Merit List. Only candidates who clear verification appear in the merit list and can proceed to choice-filling.

The State Merit List itself is prepared strictly on NEET UG 2026 rank, subject to successful document verification.

The three rounds of counselling — Freeze, Float and what they mean

Counselling runs in up to three main rounds, followed by upgradation among floated candidates and, if seats remain, a stray vacancy round.

After registration and merit list preparation, candidates fill and lock their choices of course (MBBS/BDS) and college in order of preference. If a candidate doesn't lock choices manually, the system locks them automatically once the time window closes.

Once allotted a seat, the candidate must personally report to the OJEE office at Gandamunda, Bhubaneswar, with all original certificates and the prepared bond, pay the admission fee (online or by demand draft), deposit the original College/School Leaving Certificate, and choose Freeze or Float. Skipping this step means the seat is treated as vacant for the next round, and the candidate must do fresh choice-filling to participate again.

Freeze means you keep your allotted seat and are not considered for upgrade in later rounds. Float means you keep the current seat but remain open to a better allotment in the next round — if upgraded, you must give up the earlier seat and join the new one; you cannot claim back the earlier seat.

Round 3 is stricter: if you get a seat for the first time in Round 3, you cannot upgrade or resign from it. If you don't join a Round 3 allotted seat, you exit with 'withdrawal elimination' and cannot take part in any further round, including the stray vacancy round.

After Round 3, remaining vacancies are first filled by upgrading floated candidates, then — if seats are still vacant — a Stray Vacancy round may be notified, requiring physical presence (no authorised representatives allowed). Candidates who have already taken admission by the end of Round 3 cannot participate in the stray round.

Fee structure for MBBS/BDS in Odisha

Fees vary sharply between government and private institutions, and NRI candidates pay a multiple of the private-college fee. All figures below are per annum and exclude hostel/other institutional charges, which vary by college.

A University Registration fee of Rs. 3,500 applies to every admitted candidate, on top of the course fee. Any government revision to these figures will automatically apply.

Withdrawal, refunds and penalties

If a candidate resigns their admitted seat on or before the officially notified withdrawal date, 90% of the admission fee deposited is refunded and 10% is deducted as a processing fee. No resignation is allowed after that date closes.

If a candidate resigns after the withdrawal date has passed, the seat lapses, no fee is refunded, and the candidate becomes liable for a financial penalty as decided by the Odisha Government. Original documents and the College Leaving Certificate will not be returned until any such penalty is paid.

Candidates who have already taken and retained a seat through All-India (MCC) counselling after its Round 3 cannot surrender that seat to join Odisha state counselling instead — doing so invites legal action.

Documents related to counselling and allotment will be preserved by the committee only until 31 December 2026, so any refund or grievance claims should be made well before that.

Frequently asked questions

This guideline is the rulebook for Odisha's MBBS/BDS counselling 2026 — the actual registration dates, choice-filling window and seat allotment schedule will be announced separately on www.ojee.nic.in and www.odishajee.com. Candidates should scan and organise every required document now, double-check that category and nativity certificates meet the exact rules above, and keep checking the OJEE website regularly since no individual communication will be sent to candidates.