The Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) of Puducherry has published the Revised Draft Merit List for PG Dental (M.D.S.) courses for the 2026-27 academic year on 24 August 2026. This list covers all quota categories — Government, Management, Management (Telugu Minority), and NRI — and includes special category lists for Puducherry candidates (Freedom Fighters and Ex-Servicemen). The merit list is based on NEET-MDS 2026 cutoff marks. Candidates now have a critical 48-hour window to upload any objections, missing certificates, or corrected documents, and to submit their course preferences for Round 1 allotment. Missing either deadline will result in automatic rejection or exclusion from allotment.
You must upload objections, certificates, and course preferences by 26 August 5 PM — if you don't, your application will be rejected or you will not be considered for a seat.
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Unlock My College ListWhat is the Revised Draft Merit List?
The Revised Draft Merit List is a preliminary ranking of all candidates who applied for MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) postgraduate courses in Puducherry for 2026-27. It is prepared using the cutoff marks set by NEET-MDS 2026 — the national entrance exam for dental PG admission. This is NOT the final list; it is a draft that allows candidates to check their position, verify their details, and raise any objections before the final list is locked.
The list includes candidates across all admission quotas: Government seats (filled by the state), Management seats (private colleges), Management (Telugu Minority) seats, and NRI (Non-Resident Indian) seats. Special category lists for Puducherry-domiciled candidates claiming Freedom Fighter or Ex-Servicemen status are also published separately. You can view your name, rank, score, category, and verification status on the CENTAC website at www.centacpuducherry.in by logging into your candidate dashboard.
Important Dates — Do Not Miss These
There is only ONE critical deadline for this stage: 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM. By this time, you must complete two separate actions: (1) upload any objections or missing certificates, and (2) submit your course preferences. After 5 PM on 26 August, the portal will close and no further uploads or changes will be accepted. Missing this deadline is not recoverable — your application will be rejected or you will be excluded from allotment.
After CENTAC processes all objections and verifies certificates, the Final Merit List will be published. The exact date of the final list is not stated in this notice, so check the CENTAC website regularly or enable SMS notifications (CENTAC will send updates to your registered mobile number).
- 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM — Last date to upload objections, certificates, and course preferences
- After 26 August — CENTAC will process objections and publish the Final Merit List (date to be announced)
How to Upload Objections and Certificates
If you believe there is an error in your merit list entry, or if your application was flagged as incomplete during verification, you can submit objections and upload missing documents. Log into your candidate dashboard on www.centacpuducherry.in using your credentials. Look for the 'GRIEVANCES' option in the dashboard menu. Click on it and upload your objection or certificate as instructed. You can upload multiple documents if needed.
Common reasons to upload documents include: (1) your Revenue Certificate (proof of domicile) was rejected because it was not recently renewed — you must now submit a fresh, recently renewed certificate; (2) your application shows a verification error that you can correct with supporting documents; (3) you have a special category claim (Freedom Fighter, Ex-Servicemen) that needs supporting proof. All uploads must be completed before 26 August 5 PM. After this deadline, the portal will close and no further uploads will be accepted.
- Log into www.centacpuducherry.in with your username and password
- Click on 'GRIEVANCES' in your dashboard
- Upload your objection or certificate file
- Submit before 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM
- If your Revenue Certificate was rejected, submit a newly renewed one before the deadline
Submitting Your Course Preferences — Critical for Allotment
The Seat Matrix for MDS courses has been published on the CENTAC website. This matrix shows how many seats are available in each MDS speciality (e.g., Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral Surgery, etc.) across Government, Management, Management (Telugu Minority), and NRI quotas. You must now decide which courses and colleges you wish to be considered for, and submit your preferences in order of priority.
This is a CRITICAL step. If you do not submit any course preferences by 26 August 5 PM, you will NOT be considered for allotment in Round 1, even if your name appears in the merit list. Your candidature will be excluded. You can update or change your preferences if you wish — the system allows you to modify them until the deadline. Log into your dashboard, find the course preferences section, select your choices in priority order, and save. Do not leave this blank.
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- View the Seat Matrix on www.centacpuducherry.in to see available MDS courses and seats
- Log into your dashboard and navigate to the course preferences section
- Select your preferred courses in order of priority (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc.)
- Save your preferences before 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM
- If you leave preferences empty, you will be excluded from allotment
Verification Status — Check Your Application Status Now
Your candidate dashboard shows the verification status of your submitted application. This tells you whether CENTAC has accepted, flagged, or rejected each document you submitted. Check this status immediately. If any document is flagged as 'rejected' or 'incomplete', you will see the reason. For example, if your Revenue Certificate is marked as 'rejected — not recently renewed', you now know you must submit a fresh certificate before 26 August 5 PM.
Do not assume your application is complete. Many candidates miss this step and discover too late that a certificate was rejected. Log in now, review your verification status, and if any document is flagged, prepare the corrected version and upload it before the deadline.
- Log into www.centacpuducherry.in
- View your candidate dashboard
- Check the verification status of each document
- If any document is rejected or flagged, note the reason
- Upload the corrected document before 26 August 5 PM
Special Category Lists — Freedom Fighters and Ex-Servicemen
If you are a Puducherry-domiciled candidate claiming Freedom Fighter or Ex-Servicemen status, a separate merit list has been published for your category. These lists rank candidates within the special category quota. Check the CENTAC website to see if your name appears in the special category list. If you are listed, you are eligible for seats reserved under this quota.
To claim special category status, you must have submitted supporting documents (such as a Freedom Fighter certificate or Ex-Servicemen discharge certificate) during the application phase. If your claim was rejected during verification, you can upload the corrected certificate before 26 August 5 PM using the GRIEVANCES option.
- Special category lists for Freedom Fighters and Ex-Servicemen are published on the CENTAC website
- Check if your name appears in the special category list
- If your claim was rejected, upload supporting documents before 26 August 5 PM
Critical Warnings — Actions That Will Get You Rejected
CENTAC has flagged several serious violations that will result in immediate rejection or cancellation of admission. Read these carefully, as they apply to you.
**Duplicate Applications:** If you submitted more than one application for MDS courses, both applications have been rejected and your candidature is cancelled. You cannot appeal this decision. If you believe you submitted only one application and are seeing duplicates, contact the helpline immediately.
**False Information:** If any information in your application is found to be false or misleading — such as incorrect educational qualifications, false category claims, or fabricated work experience — your application will be rejected and your admission cancelled. This applies even if the false information was submitted unintentionally.
**Forged Documents:** Final admission is subject to physical verification of all documents. If during verification any document is found to be forged or fraudulent, your candidature will be cancelled immediately and legal action will be initiated against you. This is a serious criminal matter. Do not submit forged certificates, transcripts, or identity documents.
**Revenue Certificate Issues:** If your Revenue Certificate (proof of domicile) is not recently renewed, it will be rejected. You must submit a fresh certificate issued recently (the notice does not specify 'how recent', so contact the helpline for the exact validity period). Candidates whose claims were rejected for this reason are given one final chance to submit a proper certificate before 26 August 5 PM.
- ⚠️ Duplicate applications: both rejected, candidature cancelled
- ⚠️ False information: application rejected, admission cancelled
- ⚠️ Forged documents: candidature cancelled, legal action initiated
- ⚠️ Revenue Certificate not recently renewed: rejected (submit a fresh one before 26 Aug 5 PM)
Quota Categories Explained
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The merit list includes candidates across four quota categories. Understanding which quota you fall under is important because it determines which seats you are eligible for and how your rank is calculated.
**Government Quota:** Seats filled by the Puducherry government through this centralised counselling. These are typically the most competitive and have the highest cutoff marks.
**Management Quota:** Seats in private dental colleges that are filled through this counselling. These may have lower cutoff marks than Government seats.
**Management (Telugu Minority) Quota:** Seats reserved for Telugu-minority institutions in Puducherry. Eligibility may have specific criteria — check the seat matrix.
**NRI Quota:** Seats reserved for Non-Resident Indians (Indian citizens living abroad or holding OCI status). These seats often have different fee structures and may have separate cutoff marks. Your merit list will show which quota you are ranked under based on your application.
- Government Quota — state-funded seats, typically highest cutoff
- Management Quota — private college seats
- Management (Telugu Minority) Quota — seats in Telugu-minority institutions
- NRI Quota — seats for Non-Resident Indians
How to Contact CENTAC for Help
If you have questions, cannot log into your dashboard, or need clarification on any aspect of the merit list or process, CENTAC provides multiple support channels.
**Helpline Phone:** 0413-2655570 (call during business hours)
**Website:** www.centacpuducherry.in (check for FAQs and updates)
**Dashboard Grievances Option:** Log into your candidate dashboard and submit your query through the GRIEVANCES section. CENTAC will respond to your query.
**SMS Updates:** CENTAC is sending SMS notifications to all candidates. Enable SMS on your registered mobile number to receive updates about merit list publication, final list dates, and allotment schedules.
- Helpline: 0413-2655570
- Website: www.centacpuducherry.in
- Dashboard: Use GRIEVANCES option to submit queries
- SMS: Check your registered mobile for updates
What Happens After 26 August?
After the 26 August 5 PM deadline, CENTAC will process all objections and verify all uploaded certificates. Any objections that are valid will be corrected in the merit list. Any certificates that are found to be incomplete or forged will result in rejection or cancellation. This process typically takes a few days.
Once all objections are disposed of, CENTAC will publish the **Final Merit List**. This is the official, locked list that will be used for Round 1 allotment. The exact date of the final list is not announced in this notice, so monitor the website and your SMS for the announcement.
After the final list is published, Round 1 allotment will take place. Candidates will be allotted seats based on their rank in the final merit list, their course preferences, and seat availability. The allotment result will be published on the website, and you will be able to see which seat (if any) has been allotted to you.
- 26 Aug 5 PM — Deadline closes, no more uploads accepted
- After 26 Aug — CENTAC processes objections and verifies certificates
- Date TBA — Final Merit List published
- After final list — Round 1 allotment takes place
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
What is the Revised Draft Merit List and why is it not final?
The Revised Draft Merit List is a preliminary ranking of all MDS applicants based on NEET-MDS 2026 cutoff marks. It is not final because candidates are given a chance to upload objections, missing certificates, or corrected documents before the list is locked. After CENTAC processes all objections and verifies documents, the Final Merit List will be published. Only the final list is used for allotment.
What is the deadline for uploading objections and certificates?
The deadline is 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM. You must upload all objections, missing certificates, and corrected documents by this time using the GRIEVANCES option in your candidate dashboard. After 5 PM, the portal will close and no further uploads will be accepted. Missing this deadline means your application will be rejected or you will be excluded from allotment.
What happens if I don't submit course preferences?
If you do not submit any course preferences by 26 August 5 PM, you will NOT be considered for allotment in Round 1, even if your name is in the merit list. Your candidature will be excluded. Course preferences are mandatory — you must select at least one course and college to be eligible for a seat.
My Revenue Certificate was rejected. What should I do?
If your Revenue Certificate (proof of domicile) was rejected because it was not recently renewed, you must submit a fresh, recently renewed certificate before 26 August 5 PM. Log into your dashboard, go to GRIEVANCES, and upload the new certificate. Without a valid Revenue Certificate, your application will remain rejected.
I submitted two applications by mistake. What happens now?
If you submitted duplicate applications, both have been rejected and your candidature is cancelled. You cannot appeal this decision. If you believe this is an error, contact the CENTAC helpline immediately at 0413-2655570 to clarify.
How do I check my verification status?
Log into your candidate dashboard on www.centacpuducherry.in. Your dashboard will show the verification status of each document you submitted — whether it is accepted, flagged, or rejected. If any document is rejected, the reason will be shown. Check this immediately and upload corrected documents if needed before 26 August 5 PM.
What is the Seat Matrix and why do I need to see it?
The Seat Matrix shows how many MDS seats are available in each speciality (e.g., Orthodontics, Prosthodontics) across Government, Management, Management (Telugu Minority), and NRI quotas. You must view the seat matrix to decide which courses to apply for. It is published on the CENTAC website. Your course preferences must match the available seats.
What happens if I submit false information or forged documents?
If any information in your application is found to be false, your application will be rejected and your admission cancelled. If any document is found to be forged during physical verification, your candidature will be cancelled and legal action will be initiated against you. Do not submit false or forged documents under any circumstances.
When will the Final Merit List be published?
The exact date of the Final Merit List is not announced in this notice. After CENTAC processes all objections and verifies certificates (which typically takes a few days after 26 August), the final list will be published. Monitor the CENTAC website www.centacpuducherry.in and check your SMS for the announcement.
What should I do if I cannot log into my dashboard?
If you cannot access your dashboard, contact the CENTAC helpline at 0413-2655570 during business hours. You can also submit a query through the GRIEVANCES option if you can access the login page, or visit the website www.centacpuducherry.in for technical support.
Are there separate merit lists for special categories like Freedom Fighters?
Yes. Special category merit lists for Puducherry-domiciled candidates claiming Freedom Fighter or Ex-Servicemen status have been published separately on the CENTAC website. If you claimed special category status, check if your name appears in the special category list. If your claim was rejected, you can upload supporting documents before 26 August 5 PM.
What happens after the Final Merit List is published?
After the Final Merit List is published, Round 1 allotment will take place. Candidates will be allotted seats based on their rank in the final list, their course preferences, and seat availability. The allotment result will be published on the website, and you will be able to see which seat (if any) has been allotted to you.
Act immediately: log into www.centacpuducherry.in, check your verification status, upload any missing or corrected certificates using the GRIEVANCES option, and submit your course preferences. All of this must be completed by 26 August 2026, 5:00 PM. Do not delay — after this deadline, the portal closes and no further uploads or changes are accepted. If you have any questions, call the helpline at 0413-2655570 or submit a query through your dashboard.
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