Puducherry NEET PG 2026 MDS Round 2: Registration, Fees & Preferences

Puducherry's Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) has opened Round 2 registration for PG Dental (MDS) courses for the 2026–27 session. The Round 1 allotment list and vacancy positions have been published, and all registered candidates—whether they joined a Round 1 seat or not—can now participate in Round 2 without restriction. To enter Round 2, you must pay a registration fee (which varies by quota and category), submit fresh course preferences, and meet the deadline of 21 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. If you were admitted in Round 1 and wish to withdraw without forfeiture, you have until 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM to submit a resignation request. This notice explains the fees, eligibility, process, and critical deadlines you must follow.

What is Round 2 and who can apply?

Round 2 is the second phase of counselling for PG Dental (MDS) admission in Puducherry's government and self-financing dental colleges. The Round 1 allotment list and current vacancy positions have already been published on the CENTAC website (www.centacpuducherry.in).

All candidates who are registered with CENTAC are eligible for Round 2, regardless of whether they were allotted a seat in Round 1 or whether they joined that seat. This means: if you were allotted in Round 1 and joined, you can still apply for Round 2; if you were allotted but did not join, you can apply; if you were not allotted in Round 1, you can apply. There is no restriction based on Round 1 outcome.

Round 2 seats are available under four quota categories: Government Quota (for Puducherry candidates only), Management Quota (MQ), Management – Telugu Minority Quota (MQT), and NRI Quota. The colleges participating are government and self-financing dental institutions in the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Important dates: when to register and submit preferences

The registration window for Round 2 is open from 16 September 2026 to 21 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. During this period, you must pay your registration fee and submit your course preferences through the CENTAC dashboard. No registrations or preference submissions will be accepted after 5:00 PM on 21 September.

If you were admitted in Round 1 and wish to resign (withdraw) from that seat without paying a forfeiture fee, you must submit your resignation request by 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. This is a separate deadline, one day after the Round 2 registration closes. Resignation requests are submitted through your login dashboard using the Resignation Request Letter format (Annexure 15 in the PG Dental Information Brochure).

• Round 2 registration and preference submission: 16–21 September 2026, 5:00 PM
• Resignation deadline for Round 1 admitted seat: 22 September 2026, 5:00 PM

Registration fees: how much you must pay by quota and category

To participate in Round 2, you must pay a registration fee. The amount depends on your quota (Government, Management, Management–Telugu Minority, or NRI) and your category (General, EWS, OBC, MBC, BCM, BT, EBC, SC, or ST). Only candidates who pay the correct fee will be considered for Round 2 allotment.

For Government Quota (Puducherry candidates only): if your category is General, EWS, OBC, MBC, BCM, or BT, you pay ₹25,000. If your category is EBC, SC, or ST, you pay ₹10,000. For Management Quota, Management–Telugu Minority Quota, or NRI Quota (including NRI-SP, OCI, OCI-SP, PIO, FN), you pay ₹2,00,000.

Important exception: if you were already admitted in Round 1 (and joined), you do NOT need to pay the registration fee to participate in Round 2—except if you belong to the EBC, SC, or ST category. EBC/SC/ST candidates admitted in Round 1 must still pay ₹10,000 (for Government Quota) or ₹2,00,000 (for Management/NRI Quota) to participate in Round 2.

If you are a Puducherry candidate and wish to apply for both Government and Management Quota seats, you pay only the Management Quota fee of ₹2,00,000 (not both fees).

How to pay the registration fee: payment methods and instructions

You must transfer the registration fee to the CENTAC bank account using one of two methods: NET BANKING or by generating an NEFT/RTGS challan through the payment option in your dashboard login. Do not pay by any other method.

To pay: log in to your CENTAC dashboard, generate the challan for your fee amount, and follow the payment instructions. If you use NET BANKING, transfer the exact amount shown in the challan. If you use NEFT/RTGS, generate the challan and use it to make the transfer. Important: each challan can be used only once. If you use NEFT/RTGS, do not attempt to reuse the same challan.

Pay the exact amount reflected in the challan to ensure the payment is not rejected or returned. Read the HELP Instructions in the dashboard carefully before proceeding. If you have questions about payment, contact the CENTAC helpline at 0413-2655570 or 0413-2655571.

• Use NET BANKING or NEFT/RTGS challan only—no other payment method accepted
• Pay the exact amount shown in the challan
• Each NEFT/RTGS challan can be used only once
• Read HELP Instructions before paying
• Contact helpline: 0413-2655570 / 0413-2655571 for payment issues

What happens to your registration fee after Round 2 allotment?

The fate of your registration fee depends on the outcome of Round 2 allotment and whether you join the seat offered.

If you are allotted a seat in Round 2 and you join the course, your registration fee will be adjusted (credited) against the tuition fee you owe. You will then pay only the balance tuition fee after deducting the registration fee already paid.

If you are not allotted any seat in Round 2, your registration fee will be refunded in full after the entire counselling process is complete.

If you are allotted a seat in Round 2 but you do not join the course, your registration fee will be forfeited (you will lose it). This is a critical point: if you register and are offered a seat but choose not to join, you will not get your fee back.

• Allotted and joined: fee adjusted against tuition fee
• Not allotted: fee refunded after counselling ends
• Allotted but not joined: fee forfeited (lost)

Submitting course preferences: what you must know

All course preferences you submitted in Round 1 are now null and void. You must submit fresh course preferences for Round 2. Even if you ranked the same courses in Round 1, you must re-enter them in Round 2.

Sliding will be allowed in Round 2. This means that vacancies may appear dynamically in any course at the time of allotment, even if no vacancy was shown when you were filling preferences. Therefore, you should submit course preferences regardless of the vacancy positions published before the deadline. Do not skip a course just because it showed no vacancy—it may have one by allotment time.

You are solely responsible for the order in which you rank your course preferences. Take care to rank them in the order of your genuine preference, because no request to change preferences will be entertained after the registration deadline (21 September 2026, 5:00 PM). Once the deadline passes, your preferences are locked.

If you submit willingness (confirm participation) in Round 2 and a new seat is allotted to you based on your Round 2 preferences, the course in which you were admitted in Round 1 will be automatically cancelled. This is automatic—you do not need to resign from Round 1 separately if you get a new seat in Round 2. However, if you do not get a new seat in Round 2, your Round 1 seat remains valid (unless you resign separately).

Critical: if you do not submit any course preference, no seat will be allotted to you in Round 2, even if you paid the registration fee. An empty preference list means no allotment.

• Round 1 preferences are null and void—submit fresh preferences for Round 2
• Sliding is allowed—vacancies may appear dynamically, so submit preferences even if published vacancies are low
• Rank courses in genuine order of preference; no changes allowed after 21 Sept 5:00 PM
• If you get a new seat in Round 2, your Round 1 seat is automatically cancelled
• Empty preference list = no allotment; you must submit at least one preference

Resigning from your Round 1 seat: when and how

If you were allotted a seat in Round 1 and you joined that course, you can now resign (withdraw) from it without paying a forfeiture fee. This allows you to participate in Round 2 without being locked into your Round 1 seat.

To resign, you must submit a Resignation Request Letter through your CENTAC login dashboard on or before 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. The format for this letter is provided as Annexure 15 in the PG Dental Information Brochure (page 71). Use that exact format when submitting your resignation.

Important timing: the resignation deadline (22 September) is one day after the Round 2 registration deadline (21 September). This means you can register for Round 2 first, and then decide whether to resign from Round 1 based on your Round 2 preferences. However, do not miss the 22 September deadline if you wish to resign without forfeiture.

If you do not resign by 22 September and you are allotted a new seat in Round 2, your Round 1 seat will be automatically cancelled anyway (as explained above). However, if you do not get a new seat in Round 2 and you have not resigned, you remain admitted to your Round 1 seat.

• Eligible: candidates who joined a Round 1 allotted seat
• Deadline: 22 September 2026, 5:00 PM
• Method: submit Resignation Request Letter (Annexure 15) via login dashboard
• Benefit: resign without forfeiture fee
• If you get a new Round 2 seat, Round 1 seat cancels automatically (no need to resign separately)

Special notice: Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College fee structure

In accordance with an Interim Order dated 08 September 2026 in W.P. No. 15159 of 2026, the fee structure for Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College and Research Institute's PG Dental course has been set as extracted by the Hon'ble Court in that order, subject to the final outcome of the case.

Specifically, the PG Dental course fee at Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College & Research Institute shall be as prescribed in the court order cited in respect of the MBBS course. This is a temporary arrangement pending the final judgment. If you are allotted to this college, verify the exact fee amount on the CENTAC website or contact the helpline, as the fee may differ from other colleges.

• Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College PG Dental fee is subject to an interim court order
• Fee structure follows the MBBS course fee as cited by the court
• This is temporary pending final judgment
• Verify exact fee on CENTAC website or helpline before joining

Eligibility: who can participate in Round 2?

All candidates who are registered with CENTAC are eligible for Round 2. This includes: candidates who were allotted a seat in Round 1 and joined it; candidates who were allotted in Round 1 but did not join; and candidates who were not allotted in Round 1.

There is no restriction based on Round 1 outcome. You do not need to have been allotted in Round 1 to participate in Round 2. The only requirement is that you are registered with CENTAC and you meet the basic eligibility criteria for PG Dental (MDS) admission (NEET-PG qualification, MBBS degree, etc.), which are assumed to have been verified during initial registration.

To participate in Round 2, you must: (1) pay the registration fee for your quota and category, (2) submit fresh course preferences, and (3) meet all deadlines. Failure to do any of these will result in exclusion from Round 2 allotment.

• All CENTAC-registered candidates are eligible
• No restriction based on Round 1 allotment status
• Must pay registration fee, submit preferences, and meet deadlines

Common mistakes that will get your application rejected or excluded

Not paying the registration fee: if you do not pay the correct fee for your quota and category by 21 September 5:00 PM, you will not be considered for Round 2 allotment, even if you submit preferences. The only exception is if you were admitted in Round 1 (and joined) and you are not in the EBC/SC/ST category.

Submitting an empty course preference list: if you do not submit any course preference, no seat will be allotted to you. You must rank at least one course. Many candidates forget this and then find they have no allotment.

Missing the registration deadline: all payments and preference submissions must be completed by 21 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. Submissions after this time will not be accepted. Set a reminder well before the deadline.

Paying the wrong amount: if you pay an incorrect fee amount, the payment may be rejected or returned. Always pay the exact amount shown in your challan. If you are unsure of your fee, check the fee table above or contact the helpline.

Paying by an unauthorized method: CENTAC accepts only NET BANKING or NEFT/RTGS challan. Do not attempt to pay by cash, cheque, demand draft, or any other method.

Reusing an NEFT/RTGS challan: each challan can be used only once. If your first payment fails, generate a new challan; do not reuse the old one.

Forgetting to resign from Round 1 if you want to: if you were admitted in Round 1 and you do not resign by 22 September, and you do not get a new seat in Round 2, you will remain admitted to your Round 1 seat. If you then do not join Round 1, you may face consequences. Resign if you are sure you want to participate only in Round 2.

Not reading the course preference instructions: sliding is allowed, so vacancies may appear dynamically. Do not skip a course just because it showed no vacancy initially. Rank all courses you are willing to join, in order of preference.

• ⚠️ No registration fee payment = no allotment (except Round 1 admitted non-EBC/SC/ST)
• ⚠️ Empty preference list = no allotment
• ⚠️ Late submission (after 21 Sept 5:00 PM) = rejected
• ⚠️ Wrong fee amount = payment rejected
• ⚠️ Unauthorized payment method = not accepted
• ⚠️ Reused NEFT/RTGS challan = payment fails
• ⚠️ Not resigning from Round 1 = may remain locked to Round 1 seat if no Round 2 allotment

How to access the CENTAC portal and get help

All registration, fee payment, and preference submission must be done through the CENTAC online portal at www.centacpuducherry.in. Log in using your credentials (username and password provided during initial registration). If you have forgotten your login details, use the 'Forgot Password' option on the website.

Once logged in, you will see your dashboard. From there, you can: generate the fee challan, pay the registration fee, submit course preferences, and (if applicable) submit a resignation request for your Round 1 seat. Follow the on-screen instructions carefully.

If you encounter any technical issues or have questions about the process, you can: (1) submit a query through the Grievances option in your login dashboard, or (2) contact the CENTAC helpline at 0413-2655570 or 0413-2655571. SMS notifications have also been sent to all candidates with key information.

The PG Dental Information Brochure (available on the website) contains detailed instructions, including the format for the Resignation Request Letter (Annexure 15, page 71). Download and read it before starting the registration process.

• Portal: www.centacpuducherry.in
• Log in with your registered credentials
• Use dashboard to pay fee, submit preferences, and resign
• Grievances: submit through dashboard Grievances option
• Helpline: 0413-2655570 / 0413-2655571
• Reference: PG Dental Information Brochure (Annexure 15 for resignation format)

Frequently asked questions

Round 2 registration for Puducherry PG Dental (MDS) courses is now open. You have until 21 September 2026 at 5:00 PM to pay your registration fee and submit fresh course preferences through the CENTAC portal (www.centacpuducherry.in). If you were admitted in Round 1 and wish to resign without forfeiture, submit your resignation request by 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. Do not miss these deadlines—late submissions will not be accepted. For any issues, contact the CENTAC helpline at 0413-2655570 or 0413-2655571.