Puducherry's health department has published its state-wise merit list for NEET UG 2026, the rank list used for admissions to MBBS and BDS seats under the state's quota. The list is topped by a candidate with 670 marks, but it has also drawn attention because ten candidates appear with negative scores, ranging from -1 to -23. If you or someone in your family is applying through Puducherry's state quota, this list — and the counselling dates tied to it — matters directly. This piece explains why a NEET merit list can include negative scores, and lays out the counselling timeline that follows.
Appearing on a state merit list, even with a very low or negative score, does not guarantee an MBBS/BDS seat — actual admission depends on your rank relative to seats, category, and the choices you fill during counselling.
What Puducherry has released
The Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Puducherry, has put out its state merit list for NEET UG 2026 on its official website. This list ranks all candidates who registered for Puducherry's state quota counselling based on their NEET UG scores, and it is separate from the all-India rank released by the National Testing Agency.
Krishanth Abhinav M tops the Puducherry list with 670 marks and an All India Rank (AIR) of 553. Praveen A is second with 646 marks and an AIR of 1721, and Ramaneeshwar A is third, also with 646 marks, at AIR 1756.
At the other end of the list, ten candidates have negative total scores — specifically -1, -3, -6, -7, -9, -11, -14, -15, -16 and -23 — and they occupy ranks between 4707 and 4716 on the state list.
Why does a NEET merit list show negative marks at all?
NEET UG uses a marking scheme of +4 for a correct answer and -1 for an incorrect one, with no marks for unattempted questions. A candidate who answers many questions wrong and very few right can end up with a total score below zero — this is arithmetically possible and not an error in the list.
State merit lists, unlike a 'selection list', are usually published for every candidate who applied for that state's counselling and appeared for the exam, regardless of how low their score is. This is done for transparency and because some categories — particularly persons with disability (PwD) or certain reserved categories in some states — can have different or relaxed qualifying thresholds, so a state may choose to display the full list rather than cut it off.
In short: being on the list is a record of participation and relative rank, not a certificate of eligibility for a seat. Only candidates who clear the applicable qualifying cutoff for their category, and whose rank is good enough for an available seat, will actually be allotted one.
This does not change how seats are actually allotted
It is worth being clear-eyed about this: a candidate ranked in the 4700s with a negative score is extremely unlikely to receive an MBBS or BDS seat through this counselling, because seats are allotted strictly in order of rank within each category until seats run out. Their appearance on the list simply reflects that they registered and attempted the exam.
For genuine aspirants, the number that matters is your rank relative to the number of seats in your category and the previous years' closing ranks for the colleges you are targeting — not the extremes at either end of the merit list.
Puducherry's counselling calendar to note
Alongside the merit list, Puducherry has set out its counselling schedule for eligible candidates. Anyone applying under this state's quota should track these dates carefully, since counselling windows do not typically get extended for individual candidates.
- Objections to the merit list can be raised until August 5, 2026, by emailing DMS@PY.GOV.IN.
- Counselling registration opens August 5, 2026, and closes August 12, 2026.
- Choice filling (selecting preferred colleges/courses) runs from August 6 to August 13, 2026.
- Seat allotment result is due on August 17, 2026.
- Candidates allotted a seat must report to their institute between August 18 and August 22, 2026.
Practical takeaway for aspirants
If your name appears on the Puducherry list and you believe there is an error in your recorded score, use the objection window before it closes on August 5, 2026 — this is a narrow, time-bound opportunity and emailing after the deadline is unlikely to help.
Do not wait for the merit list drama to resolve before starting your own preparation for counselling. Have your documents (NEET UG scorecard, admit card, Class 10 and 12 certificates, category and domicile proof, and required affidavits) ready well before registration opens, since document verification delays are one of the most common reasons candidates lose time during counselling.
Use the reported closing ranks of Puducherry medical and dental colleges from the last one or two years as a realistic reference point for where your own rank might land, rather than reacting to outlier scores at either end of the list.
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
Does a negative NEET score mean the candidate failed the exam?
It means their total marks, after applying the -1 penalty for wrong answers, worked out below zero. It reflects a poor overall performance on the exam, not a technical failure or disqualification from having taken it.
Can someone with a negative score get an MBBS or BDS seat in Puducherry?
Practically, no. Seats are allotted strictly by rank within each category, and candidates with negative or very low scores rank far below the number of available seats, so they are not expected to be allotted one.
Why does the state merit list include candidates who clearly won't get a seat?
State merit lists are usually published as a complete record of everyone who registered and appeared for that state's counselling, for transparency, rather than only listing candidates above a cutoff.
What is the last date to raise an objection to the Puducherry merit list?
Objections must be emailed to DMS@PY.GOV.IN by August 5, 2026, according to the released schedule.
What are the key counselling dates for Puducherry NEET UG 2026?
Registration runs from August 5 to August 12, 2026; choice filling runs from August 6 to August 13, 2026; seat allotment results come on August 17, 2026; and reporting to the allotted institute is between August 18 and August 22, 2026.
Is this merit list linked to the NEET UG re-exam held earlier this year?
The NEET UG re-exam was conducted on June 21, 2026, with results announced on July 16, 2026. The Puducherry state merit list and counselling schedule follow from those results.
Where can I check the official Puducherry NEET UG merit list?
It is published on the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Puducherry's official website, health.py.gov.in, under the NEET UG 2026 merit list link.
If you're in Puducherry's state quota counselling pool, treat this week's dates as firm: verify your rank and score now, file any objection before August 5, and have your documents ready before registration opens. The number worth focusing on is your own rank against realistic closing ranks — not the headline-grabbing extremes at either end of the list.
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