Puducherry NEET-PG 2026-27: MD/MS admission process, documents & counselling rules

Puducherry's Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) has released the official information brochure for NEET-PG Medical admissions in the 2026-27 academic year. The brochure, issued by the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Puducherry, outlines the complete admission procedure for MD and MS courses through centralised counselling. If you are an MBBS graduate seeking a postgraduate medical seat in Puducherry, this brochure contains all the rules, timelines, and document requirements you must follow. Understanding these guidelines now will help you avoid delays and rejections during the counselling process.

What is CENTAC and why does it matter for Puducherry PG admissions?

CENTAC (Centralised Admission Committee) is the official body managing postgraduate medical admissions in the Union Territory of Puducherry. It conducts centralised counselling for MD and MS courses across government and recognised private medical colleges in the region. If you wish to pursue a postgraduate medical degree in Puducherry, you must apply and participate in CENTAC's counselling process.

The brochure released for 2026-27 is the rulebook for this entire process. It specifies who can apply, what documents you must submit, how your eligibility will be verified, how you rank in the merit list, and how seats are allotted. Ignoring any part of these rules can result in your application being rejected or your name being excluded from the merit list, even if you have a strong NEET-PG score.

Step-by-step application process for Puducherry NEET-PG 2026-27

CENTAC requires all candidates to apply online only through its official website. There is no offline or paper-based application. The process is divided into six clear steps, and you must complete each one in order. Skipping or delaying any step will prevent you from participating in counselling.

First, you register as a new user on the CENTAC portal and create a login. Next, you log in and fill out the application form with your personal, educational, and NEET-PG score details. You then review and edit your entries to ensure accuracy. After that, you pay the application fee online and submit your form. Finally, after payment is confirmed, you log back in and submit your course preferences (the list of colleges and specialisations you wish to be considered for, in order of priority). Each step has a deadline; missing a deadline means you cannot proceed to the next step.

• Step 1: New Registration
• Step 2: Login
• Step 3: Fill the application form
• Step 4: Review & Edit
• Step 5: Payment & Submission
• Step 6: Submission of Course Preferences

Academic credentials verification: what documents you must upload

CENTAC will verify your academic qualifications against the details you enter in your application. This includes checking your name, date of birth, NEET-PG 2026 score, undergraduate degree, and internship completion certificate. If there is any mismatch or missing document, your name will not appear in the merit list.

You must upload scanned copies of your NEET-PG 2026 score card, your UG degree or provisional certificate, your Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) completion certificate (with completion date on or before 30 September 2026), your birth certificate or 10th/12th standard marksheet (to verify date of birth), a transfer certificate from your last institute, a passport-size photograph, and your scanned signature. All documents must be recently renewed and self-attested.

If CENTAC finds deficiencies in your submitted documents, remarks will appear in your dashboard. You will be given time after the Draft Merit List is published to upload corrected documents. However, if you fail to rectify deficiencies even after the Revised Draft Merit List is published, you will be excluded from the Final Merit List and will not be allotted any seat.

• NEET-PG 2026 Score Card
• UG Degree or Provisional Certificate or Course Completion Certificate
• CRRI Certificate (internship completion by 30 September 2026)
• Birth Certificate or 10th/12th marksheet (for date of birth verification)
• Transfer Certificate from last institute
• Passport-size photograph
• Scanned signature

Residence, community, and special category certificate requirements

If you are claiming Puducherry residence, belong to a reserved community (SC/ST/OBC), or fall under a special category (freedom fighter, ex-serviceman, person with benchmark disability, sports quota, or Telugu linguistic minority), you must submit supporting certificates. All such certificates must be issued on or after 1 January 2026. Older certificates will not be accepted.

CENTAC will verify these certificates and update the verification status in your dashboard. If all details are correct, your status will show as 'success' and you will be marked 'Eligible' for the merit list. If deficiencies are found, your status will show as 'failed' and you will initially be excluded from the merit list. However, you will be given time after the Draft Merit List to submit renewed or corrected certificates.

If you fail to submit renewed certificates by the specified deadline, you will be marked 'Not Eligible' and permanently excluded from the Final Merit List. Your application fee will not be refunded. It is your responsibility to ensure all documents are submitted within the timelines set by CENTAC; late claims of non-receipt will not be entertained once the final merit list is published.

• Puducherry Residence Certificate (if claiming UT resident quota)
• Freedom Fighter Certificate (if applicable)
• Ex-Serviceman Certificate (if applicable)
• Telugu Linguistic Minority Certificate or Transfer Certificate (if applicable)
• Disability Certificate or UDID Card (if applicable)
• Sports Certificates (if applicable)
• All India Community Certificate (for non-UT candidates claiming SC/ST/OBC below general cutoff)

How to submit course preferences and why it is mandatory

After you pay your application fee, you must log in and submit your course preferences. This is the list of MD/MS specialisations and colleges you wish to be considered for, ranked in order of your priority. CENTAC will use this list to allot you a seat based on your merit rank, the availability of seats, and reservation norms. If you do not submit course preferences, you cannot participate in counselling and no seat will be allotted to you.

To fill preferences, you first select the colleges you are interested in from the list available in the seat matrix on the CENTAC website. Next, you select the courses (specialisations) offered by those colleges. Then, you arrange all your selected courses in descending order of priority—your most preferred course first, your least preferred last. CENTAC advises you to choose as many eligible courses as possible to increase your chances of getting a seat.

Course preferences must be submitted before the deadline for each counselling round. Once you submit, they are final and cannot be edited. If you wish to participate in a subsequent round of counselling, you must submit fresh course preferences for that round; preferences from previous rounds are considered null and void. Failure to submit preferences for any round means you will not participate in that round.

• Submission of course preferences is mandatory to participate in counselling
• Preferences must be submitted after payment of application fee
• Arrange courses in descending order of priority (highest preference first)
• Choose as many eligible courses as possible
• Preferences cannot be edited after the deadline
• Once submitted, preferences are final
• Fresh preferences must be submitted for each subsequent round

Seat allotment: how CENTAC decides who gets which seat

After all applications are verified and course preferences are submitted, CENTAC generates a merit list based on your NEET-PG 2026 score. Seats are then allotted in order of merit, taking into account your course preferences, the availability of seats in each course, and applicable reservation norms (both vertical and horizontal reservations).

The allotment process is automated and follows a strict algorithm. Your rank in the merit list, combined with your preference order, determines which seat you receive. If your first preference is not available at your merit rank, the system moves to your second preference, and so on. This is why choosing multiple courses and ranking them carefully is important—it increases the likelihood that you will be allotted a seat in one of your preferred courses.

• Allotment is based on merit rank, course preferences, seat availability, and reservation norms
• Vertical and horizontal reservations are applied
• Seats are allotted in order of merit and preference
• If first preference is unavailable, system moves to next preference

How CENTAC will communicate with you during counselling

CENTAC will inform you of all counselling rounds, merit list publication, seat allotment results, and other important updates via SMS to your registered mobile number. Updates will also be published on the CENTAC website as notices and press releases. You must check your SMS messages and the CENTAC website regularly to stay informed.

It is critical that you enter your own mobile number and email address in the application form. CENTAC will not send individual letters or calls; SMS is the primary mode of communication. If you enter a wrong mobile number or email, you will miss important notifications and may miss deadlines. CENTAC recommends registering an alternate mobile number as well, so you have a backup way to receive messages. Once the final merit list is published, CENTAC will not be responsible for any communication failures due to incorrect contact details you provided.

• All communication is via SMS to your registered mobile number
• Updates are also published on the CENTAC website as notices and press releases
• Check SMS and website regularly for counselling updates
• Ensure your mobile number and email are correct in the application
• Register an alternate mobile number for backup
• CENTAC is not responsible for missed communication due to incorrect contact details

Common pitfalls to avoid during Puducherry NEET-PG counselling

One of the most common mistakes is submitting incomplete or outdated documents. Certificates must be recently renewed and issued on or after 1 January 2026. If you submit old certificates, they will be rejected during verification. Another frequent error is entering incorrect personal details (name, date of birth) in the application form. Even a small spelling mistake or date discrepancy can cause your academic verification to fail and your name to be excluded from the merit list.

A third critical mistake is not submitting course preferences or submitting them after the deadline. Many candidates assume they can submit preferences later, but CENTAC has strict deadlines for each round. If you miss the deadline, you cannot participate in that round. Additionally, some candidates fail to check their dashboard after the Draft Merit List is published. If deficiencies are noted, you have a limited window to upload corrected documents. If you miss this window, you will be permanently excluded from the Final Merit List.

Finally, do not ignore the requirement to submit fresh course preferences for each subsequent round of counselling. Preferences from previous rounds are automatically cancelled. If you do not submit new preferences for a later round, you will not be considered for that round, even if seats are still available.

• Do not submit old or outdated certificates; they must be issued on or after 1 January 2026
• Ensure your name, date of birth, and other personal details are entered exactly as they appear in your official documents
• Do not miss the deadline for submitting course preferences
• Check your dashboard regularly after the Draft Merit List is published to see if any deficiencies are noted
• Upload corrected documents within the specified timeframe if deficiencies are found
• Submit fresh course preferences for each subsequent round of counselling

Frequently asked questions

The Puducherry NEET-PG 2026-27 counselling process is strict and deadline-driven. Start by carefully reading the full information brochure on the CENTAC website, ensure all your documents are recent and correctly prepared, and mark all application and preference submission deadlines on your calendar. Missing even one deadline or submitting incomplete documents can result in your exclusion from the merit list.