West Bengal NEET PG 2026 Counselling: State, Private & NRI Quota Rules

The West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee (WBMCC) has released the official Notice cum Information Bulletin for NEET PG 2026 counselling covering State Quota, Private Management Quota, and NRI Quota seats in MD, MS, and DNB (Degree and Diploma) courses. This comprehensive 31-page document sets out all eligibility criteria, cutoff marks, document requirements, fee structure, category-wise reservation rules, and the complete 4-round counselling process. Every NEET PG 2026 candidate planning to apply for West Bengal seats must read and understand these rules carefully, as missing even one requirement can lead to rejection during verification or admission.

Who Is Eligible: Basic Requirements

To participate in West Bengal NEET PG 2026 counselling, you must have qualified the NEET PG 2026 exam conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and meet the minimum cutoff marks for your category. Unreserved (UR) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates must score at least the 50th percentile; SC, ST, and OBC candidates must score at least the 40th percentile; and PwD (Person with Disability) candidates must score at least the 45th percentile for UR/EWS or 40th percentile for SC/ST/OBC.

You must have completed your MBBS degree and internship by 30 September 2026. If you are pursuing another PG course or are bound by a bond, that course or bond must end by 30 September 2026 before you can participate. If you graduated from a foreign medical school, you must have permanent registration with the Medical Council of India or your State Medical Council and must have completed internship in West Bengal.

You must be registered with the West Bengal Medical Council or Medical Council of India before admission. If you are registered with another state's medical council, you must transfer your registration to WBMC or MCI before joining.

• NEET PG 2026 qualified with minimum cutoff marks as per your category
• MBBS completed and internship finished by 30.09.2026
• No ongoing PG course or bond (unless it ends by 30.09.2026)
• Permanent registration with Medical Council of India or State Medical Council
• For foreign graduates: internship completed in West Bengal

Cutoff Marks by Category: Know Your Minimum Score

The cutoff marks determine whether you can participate in counselling. These are percentile-based thresholds set by NBEMS (National Board of Examinations and Medical Sciences). Unless the government or NBE reduces the cutoff during counselling, these are the minimum marks you must have scored in NEET PG 2026.

For Unreserved (UR) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates, the minimum is the 50th percentile. For SC, ST, and OBC candidates, the minimum is the 40th percentile. For PwD candidates, the minimum is the 45th percentile if you are UR/EWS, or the 40th percentile if you are SC/ST/OBC. If the government or NBE announces a cutoff reduction during counselling, newly eligible candidates will be allowed to register in subsequent rounds.

• UR/EWS candidates: 50th percentile minimum
• SC/ST/OBC candidates: 40th percentile minimum
• PwD UR/EWS candidates: 45th percentile minimum
• PwD SC/ST/OBC candidates: 40th percentile minimum
• Cutoff may be reduced by NBE or Government of India during counselling

State Quota Seats: Who Can Apply and Key Rules

State Quota seats are reserved for candidates who have passed MBBS from West Bengal, candidates who are in-service with the West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare (WBHS/WBMES/WBPHAS), and other service category candidates who passed MBBS from West Bengal. In-service candidates must have completed 3 years of regular service in rural, remote, or difficult areas of West Bengal (including COVID-19 duty) by 31 March 2026 to be eligible.

Of the State Quota degree seats, 40% are reserved for in-service teachers and medical officers; of the diploma seats, 50% are reserved for in-service candidates. Vacant seats from the open quota can be filled by in-service candidates if open category candidates are unavailable, and vice versa, based on overall merit.

⚠️ **Critical trap**: Only caste certificates issued by West Bengal authorities will be accepted for reserved category seats. If you are SC/ST/OBC from another state, you will be considered Unreserved for State Quota seats (though you may be eligible for reserved seats in central institutes in West Bengal). If your OBC certificate was issued before 1 April 2026, you must submit a Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026 in the correct format, or you will be downgraded to Unreserved.

• Passed MBBS from West Bengal, OR
• In-service with WBHS/WBMES/WBPHAS for 3+ years in rural/remote/difficult areas (by 31.03.2026), OR
• Other service category with MBBS from West Bengal
• 40% of degree seats reserved for in-service; 50% of diploma seats reserved for in-service
• ⚠️ Caste certificate must be issued by West Bengal authority
• ⚠️ OBC candidates: NCL certificate required if original OBC cert issued before 01.04.2026

Reserved Category Seats: SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD Rules

Reserved category seats follow the Backward Class Welfare Department (BCWD) gazette notification dated 18 May 2026. SC, ST, and OBC candidates must provide caste certificates issued by West Bengal authorities. EWS candidates must provide an EWS certificate issued by the appropriate West Bengal authority in the official format, dated on or after 1 April 2026 and valid for 2026–27.

OBC candidates belonging to the creamy layer must exercise their option as Unreserved during counselling. OBC candidates claiming non-creamy layer status must submit a valid Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026 in the correct format by the same OBC certificate-issuing authority. If you fail to provide this, you will be treated as Unreserved.

Five percent of State Quota seats are reserved for benchmark PwD candidates before they are included in UR/EWS/SC/ST/OBC seats. You must have a PwD certificate issued by the Primary Medical Assessment Board of NRS Medical College, Kolkata, or any other Primary Medical Assessment Board designated by MCC, New Delhi. The certificate must be for one of the 21 benchmark disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016. If you applied as PwD in the NEET PG exam form, you can be verified as PwD; if you did not, you cannot claim PwD status in counselling.

• SC/ST/OBC: Certificate must be issued by West Bengal authority
• EWS: Certificate must be issued by appropriate West Bengal authority, dated on or after 01.04.2026, in official format, valid for 2026–27
• OBC creamy layer: Must apply as Unreserved
• OBC non-creamy layer: Must provide NCL certificate issued on or after 01.04.2026
• PwD: Certificate from NRS Medical College Kolkata or MCC-designated board; must have applied as PwD in NEET PG exam
• ⚠️ Missing or invalid caste/EWS/PwD certificate = downgrade to Unreserved or rejection

Private Management Quota and NRI Quota: Eligibility and Fees

Private Management Quota seats are open to all Indian nationals qualified in NEET PG 2026, regardless of which state they passed MBBS from. There is no seat reservation (no EWS, SC, ST, OBC, or PwD reservation) in Private Management Quota; all candidates compete on combined merit rank. However, a valid caste certificate is required only if you wish to claim category-wise cutoff eligibility. Candidates eligible for State Quota seats can also apply for Private Management Quota if they wish.

NRI Quota seats are for Non-Resident Indians (NRI), People of Indian Origin (PIO), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders. You must declare your NRI/PIO/OCI status during online registration. If you change your status from Indian to NRI, you must email the designated MCC email ID within the stipulated time. ⚠️ **Critical warning**: Once you register for NRI Quota, you cannot switch to State Quota or Management Quota, and vice versa. If your NRI documents are found to be false or forged during admission verification, your candidature will be cancelled immediately with no option to reappear, and a police FIR will be filed.

Private Management Quota and NRI Quota seats have their own fee structures set by individual colleges. You must contact the college directly before registering to confirm fees, payment mode, and any bond or bank guarantee requirements. WBMCC is not responsible for fee-related issues.

• Private Management Quota: Open to all Indian nationals, no reservation, combined merit rank
• NRI Quota: For NRI/PIO/OCI card holders only
• ⚠️ Cannot switch between NRI and State/Management Quota after registration
• ⚠️ False NRI documents = immediate cancellation, no reappear, police FIR
• Contact college directly for fee details before registering
• WBMCC not responsible for private college fee issues

Registration Fee and Security Deposit: What You Must Pay

The counselling registration fee is Rs. 3,000 (three thousand only), which is one-time and non-refundable. This fee must be paid online via net banking, credit card, debit card, or UPI. Bank transaction charges, if any, are additional. Once you pay, you cannot get a refund, even if you do not participate further.

If you want to fill choices for Private College State Quota seats only, you must pay an additional security deposit of Rs. 2 lakhs (two hundred thousand). If you want to fill choices for Private College Management Quota seats (with or without State Quota), you must pay Rs. 5 lakhs (five hundred thousand) as security deposit. This security deposit is separate from the registration fee and is paid via bill desk payment gateway using Rupay debit card, net banking, or credit card. You may need to increase your payment limit before attempting payment.

The security deposit will be adjusted against your course fee if you are allotted a private college seat. If you are not allotted any private college seat, or if you are allotted a government college seat, or if you surrender your seat in Round 1 or 2, or if you do not appear for document verification, or if you request re-registration for a subsequent round, the security deposit will be refunded after the entire counselling process ends. ⚠️ If you remain non-reported from Round 2 onwards, or if you submit fake/forged documents, or if you resign after admission, your security deposit will be forfeited.

• Registration fee: Rs. 3,000 (one-time, non-refundable)
• Security deposit for Private State Quota only: Rs. 2 lakhs
• Security deposit for Private Management Quota: Rs. 5 lakhs
• Payment via online mode only (net banking, credit/debit card, UPI)
• Security deposit refunded after counselling ends (except in forfeiture cases)
• ⚠️ Non-reported from Round 2 onwards = security deposit forfeited
• ⚠️ Fake documents = security deposit forfeited + candidature cancelled

Documents Required: Complete Checklist for Verification

You must bring original documents and one set of self-attested photocopies to every verification stage. Missing even one required document can result in rejection or downgrade to a lower category. Below is the complete list of documents required based on your category and situation.

All candidates must bring: (1) NEET PG 2026 Admit Card, (2) NEET PG 2026 Rank Card, (3) Any two of EPIC/Aadhaar/Passport, (4) Age proof (Birth Certificate or Class 10 Admit Card/Certificate), (5) MBBS Certificate (except those who completed MBBS in 2026), (6) Final MBBS Mark Sheet, (7) Permanent Registration Certificate from Medical Council of India or State Medical Council, (8) Candidate Profile Letter from the counselling website, (9) Internship completion proof (cutoff date 30 September 2026).

Reserved category candidates must bring: SC/ST/OBC candidates: Caste certificate issued by West Bengal authority. OBC candidates: Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026 in the correct format. EWS candidates: EWS certificate issued by appropriate West Bengal authority in the official format, dated on or after 1 April 2026, valid for 2026–27. PwD candidates: PwD certificate from NRS Medical College Kolkata or MCC-designated Primary Medical Assessment Board.

In-service candidates must bring: (1) ID card of present employment, (2) No Objection Certificate from present employer, (3) Certificate from present employer stating 3 years of regular service in West Bengal with present posting location, (4) Declaration letter to the Department of Health and Family Welfare confirming eligibility for service quota and Trainee Reserve, (5) Certificate from institute in-charge or custodian of service book confirming service quota eligibility, (6) Posting order and joining report. Other service category candidates must bring similar employment documents plus a statement from the employer indicating whether they will receive stipend from the college or salary from their employer during training.

• NEET PG 2026 Admit Card and Rank Card
• Two identity proofs (EPIC/Aadhaar/Passport)
• Age proof (Birth Certificate or Class 10 Certificate)
• MBBS Certificate and Final Mark Sheet
• Permanent Registration Certificate (MCI or State Medical Council)
• Candidate Profile Letter from counselling website
• Internship completion proof (by 30.09.2026)
• SC/ST/OBC: Caste certificate from West Bengal authority
• OBC: Non-Creamy Layer certificate (issued on or after 01.04.2026)
• EWS: EWS certificate from West Bengal authority (issued on or after 01.04.2026, valid for 2026–27)
• PwD: PwD certificate from NRS Medical College or MCC-designated board
• In-service: Employment ID, NOC, service certificate, declaration letter, posting order, joining report
• Other service: Employment documents + employer statement on stipend/salary

The 4-Round Counselling Process: Step-by-Step

West Bengal NEET PG 2026 counselling consists of four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and Online Stray Vacancy Round. Each round follows the same basic steps: Online Registration → Online Application → Fee Payment → Candidate Profile Letter Generation → Physical Document Verification → Choice Filling → Choice Locking → Seat Allotment → Final Document Verification at Allotted College → Admission.

**Round 1**: All eligible and qualified candidates can register and participate. After registration and fee payment, you generate a Candidate Profile Letter which shows your verification venue, date, and time slot. You must attend physical document verification at the designated college (or Swasthya Bhaban for in-service candidates) with original documents and self-attested photocopies. After successful verification, you fill and lock your choices. Seats are allotted based on inter-se-merit. You then undergo final document verification at your allotted college and get admitted. During admission, you indicate whether you want to participate in Round 2.

**Round 2**: Candidates who were not allotted in Round 1, or who were allotted but did not report, or who were allotted and admitted but indicated willingness for Round 2, can participate. Newly registered candidates who did not register in Round 1 can also register now. Non-reported candidates from Round 1 can participate without paying fees again. Candidates who were allotted in Round 1 but did not report can participate without fresh registration or fee payment.

**Round 3**: Candidates who remain not allotted till Round 2, or who did not report in Round 2, or who were allotted in Round 2 and indicated willingness for Round 3, can participate. Newly registered candidates can also register. Non-reported candidates from Round 2 must pay registration fee and security deposit again. Successfully verified candidates who did not fill choices in earlier rounds do not need to pay fees again.

**Online Stray Vacancy Round**: This is the final round for any remaining vacant seats. Registered but non-allotted candidates till Round 3 can participate without paying fees again. Newly eligible candidates (if cutoff is reduced) can register. No upgradation or seat surrender is allowed in this round. Candidates admitted in the Stray Round cannot surrender their seats.

• Round 1: All eligible candidates register and participate
• Round 2: Non-allotted, non-reported, or willing candidates from Round 1 participate
• Round 3: Non-allotted till Round 2, non-reported in Round 2, or willing candidates from Round 2 participate
• Online Stray Vacancy Round: Final round for remaining vacant seats
• Each round: Registration → Fee Payment → Profile Letter → Verification → Choice Filling → Allotment → Admission
• ⚠️ Non-reported in Round 1 = free entry to Round 2 (no fee)
• ⚠️ Non-reported in Round 2 = must pay fee again for Round 3
• ⚠️ Non-reported in Round 3 = out of counselling, fees forfeited

Choice Filling and Allotment: How Seats Are Assigned

After successful document verification, you log in to the counselling portal and fill your choices. You can view all available seats based on your eligibility (State Quota, Private Management, or NRI). Open candidates cannot see in-service choices and vice versa in Rounds 1 and 2. You can arrange your choices in any order using options like 'choice up/down', 'single deletion', 'choice interchange', 'choice move', and 'multiple deletions'. The system will process your choices from the first choice downwards based on your inter-se-merit rank.

⚠️ **Critical**: You must SAVE your choices. Choices not saved will not be considered. After saving, you must LOCK your choices by entering your password. Once locked, choices cannot be changed. If you save but do not lock, the system will auto-lock your choices after the choice-locking period ends. Only locked choices are processed for allotment.

Allotment is based on your inter-se-merit rank within your category (UR/EWS/SC/ST/OBC/PwD) and your locked choices. The computer system processes your first choice; if a seat is available at your merit rank, you are allotted. If not, it moves to your second choice, and so on. Allotment is provisional until you complete final document verification at the allotted college.

• View available seats based on your eligibility
• Arrange choices in order of preference
• ✅ SAVE choices (mandatory)
• ✅ LOCK choices (mandatory)
• ⚠️ Unsaved choices = not considered
• ⚠️ Unlocked choices = auto-locked after deadline
• Allotment based on inter-se-merit and locked choices
• Allotment is provisional until final verification at college

Document Verification and Admission: Two Stages

There are two stages of document verification. **Stage 1 (Pre-choice fill-up)**: After you pay fees and generate your Candidate Profile Letter, you attend physical document verification at the designated venue (college or Swasthya Bhaban for in-service). Verification officers check your documents against your declared category, caste, EWS, and PwD status. If documents are valid and sufficient, you are marked as 'successfully verified' and can fill choices. If documents are missing or invalid, your candidature may be cancelled for that round, or you may be downgraded to a lower category (e.g., from OBC to Unreserved).

**Stage 2 (Final verification at allotted college)**: After allotment, you must attend final document verification at your allotted college within the stipulated time with original documents and the college fee. The college authority again checks your documents. If they find that your caste or PwD certificate is inadequate or invalid, they may cancel your allotted seat and downgrade you to Unreserved or Non-PwD for subsequent rounds. ⚠️ **No initialization is allowed at this stage**—if your seat is cancelled, you cannot request a fresh start; you can only participate in the next round with your changed category if you remain eligible.

If you pass final verification, you are admitted and receive a system-generated admission letter. You must submit your original documents to the college and obtain a receipt. During Round 1 admission, you are asked whether you want to participate in Round 2. Your answer determines your eligibility for subsequent rounds.

• Stage 1 (Pre-choice): Verification at designated venue before choice filling
• Stage 2 (Final): Verification at allotted college after allotment
• Invalid/missing documents at Stage 1 = candidature cancelled or downgraded
• Invalid/missing documents at Stage 2 = allotted seat cancelled, downgrade to next round
• ⚠️ No initialization at Stage 2
• ✅ Submit original documents at college and obtain receipt
• ✅ Indicate willingness for next round during Round 1 admission

Category Changes and Re-registration: When You Must Pay Again

Once you are successfully verified in a round with a particular category (UR/EWS/SC/ST/OBC/PwD), you cannot change your category in subsequent rounds unless your documents are found to be invalid or insufficient during verification. If verification officers find that your caste or PwD certificate is inadequate, they will downgrade you to a lower category (e.g., OBC to Unreserved) for that round onwards.

If your candidature is cancelled due to missing documents in a round, but you want to re-register in the next round with a changed category (e.g., from OBC to Unreserved because you cannot provide an NCL certificate), you must pay the registration fee and security deposit again. The earlier registration fee will be forfeited, but the security deposit will be refunded after the entire counselling process ends.

If you request 'initialization' (a fresh start) during the pre-choice fill-up stage of document verification because your documents are inadequate, you must re-register and pay fees again in the next round. Initialization is available only in Rounds 1, 2, and 3—not in the Stray Round.

• Category cannot be changed after successful verification in a round
• Invalid documents = automatic downgrade to lower category
• Cancelled candidature + re-registration in next round = pay fees again
• Earlier registration fee forfeited; security deposit refunded after counselling ends
• Initialization available only in Rounds 1, 2, 3 (not Stray Round)
• ⚠️ Each re-registration = fresh fee payment

Non-Reported, Seat Surrender, and Forfeiture Rules

If you are allotted a seat but do not report to the college for final document verification and admission within the stipulated time, you are marked as 'non-reported'. **Round 1 non-reported**: You can participate in Round 2 without paying fees again and without fresh registration. **Round 2 non-reported**: You can participate in Round 3, but you must pay the registration fee and security deposit again (earlier fees forfeited, security deposit refunded after counselling ends). **Round 3 non-reported**: You are out of counselling; your registration fee and security deposit are forfeited.

You can surrender your allotted seat during Rounds 1 and 2 as per the seat surrender schedule published on the counselling website. **Round 1 surrender**: Allowed without penalty. **Round 2 surrender**: Allowed but with forfeiture of admission fees. **Round 3 surrender**: Not allowed. After surrendering, you cannot participate in further rounds. Your security deposit will be refunded after the entire counselling process ends.

⚠️ **Forfeiture of security deposit occurs if**: (1) You remain non-reported from Round 2 onwards, (2) You submit fake or forged documents, (3) You resign from your admitted seat after the entire counselling process ends, (4) You do not appear for pre-choice fill-up document verification and do not re-register for the next round.

• Round 1 non-reported: Free entry to Round 2 (no fee)
• Round 2 non-reported: Must pay fee again for Round 3
• Round 3 non-reported: Out of counselling, fees forfeited
• Round 1 seat surrender: Allowed, no penalty
• Round 2 seat surrender: Allowed, admission fees forfeited
• Round 3 seat surrender: Not allowed
• ⚠️ Non-reported from Round 2 onwards = security deposit forfeited
• ⚠️ Fake documents = security deposit forfeited + candidature cancelled
• ⚠️ Resignation after admission = security deposit forfeited

In-Service Candidates: Special Rules and Trainee Reserve

In-service candidates are those employed by the West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare (WBHS/WBMES/WBPHAS) for 3 or more years in rural, remote, or difficult areas (including COVID-19 duty) by 31 March 2026. You must have completed your 3-year service requirement before the cutoff date to be eligible. If you have completed any PG Medical diploma course, you must have a minimum 2-year gap (cutoff date 31 March 2026) before you can apply for a higher course.

In-service candidates are not allowed to participate in counselling if they have completed or are pursuing any other PG Medical degree course (even if completed before joining service). However, if you completed a PG diploma without Trainee Reserve (TR), you must complete the course and its bond by 30 September 2026 before you can participate.

Trainee Reserve (TR) placement is based on extant TR rules issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The total number of TR allotments is based on available TR posts for 2026. If there is a tie (more eligible candidates than TR posts), the candidate with longer service duration is prioritized; if still tied, the older candidate (by chronological age) is prioritized. ⚠️ **Important**: Merely paying the registration fee and security deposit does not guarantee TR placement. TR placement is at the discretion of the Department and depends on available posts. You must check whether TR is available for your chosen seat before applying. The age cutoff for all in-service candidates is 50 years (cutoff date 31 March 2026).

• 3+ years regular service in WBHS/WBMES/WBPHAS in rural/remote/difficult areas (by 31.03.2026)
• Cannot participate if pursuing/completed any other PG degree course
• If completed PG diploma: 2-year gap required (cutoff 31.03.2026)
• If completed PG diploma without TR: Course and bond must end by 30.09.2026
• TR placement based on available posts and service duration/age
• ⚠️ Fee payment ≠ TR guarantee
• ⚠️ Age cutoff: 50 years (cutoff date 31.03.2026)
• Verify TR availability for your chosen seat before applying

Frequently asked questions

Register immediately on the WBMCC counselling website (https://wbmcc.nic.in) if you are eligible. Gather all required documents now—missing even one can lead to rejection. Pay close attention to category-specific rules, especially caste certificate requirements and cutoff dates. Check the counselling website frequently for Round 1 dates, verification schedules, and further notices; no individual communication will be sent.