J.P. Nadda reviews readiness for NEET UG 2026 counselling
Union health minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday reviewed preparedness for the upcoming NEET UG 2026 counselling and announced a series of tech-driven, student-centric reforms to
Union health minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday reviewed preparedness for the upcoming NEET UG 2026 counselling and announced a series of tech-driven, student-centric reforms to simplify and speed up undergraduate medical admissions nationwide. The review comes in the backdrop of widespread student protests demanding transparency and structural reforms following a major question paper leak this year—an uproar that recently led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister. During a meeting to assess the readiness of the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for All India Quota (AIQ) seats, Nadda directed officials to take every proactive measure to address candidates' concerns.
He emphasized that the government is fully committed to ensuring a fair, merit-based, and transparent admission process. Also Read | Centre plans bulk drug PLI scheme revamp, says pharmaceuticals secretary Joshi Key reforms The health ministry said in a statement that the new measures aim to reduce administrative delays, improve accessibility, and streamline admissions. It added that a central reform is a simplified one-time physical reporting framework coupled with online document verification. Under this system, candidates allotted a seat can submit their preferences online. Those choosing to ‘Float’, aiming for a better seat in subsequent rounds up to Round 3, can verify documents and secure provisional admission online.
They will no longer need to travel to institutes, hand over original documents, or pay admission fees until their final seat allotment is confirmed, according to the health ministry statement. Students can also surrender allotted seats online directly through the official portal without visiting colleges. To assist students with benchmark disabilities, designated evaluation centres have been expanded from 16 to 61 across the country. In line with Medical Commission guidelines, evaluation boards will now issue an "eligibility certificate" based on practical abilities, backed by a newly created appeal board to review contested decisions. The admission workflow has been further streamlined through automatic data sharing from the Testing Agency (NTA) and complete digitization of registrations for non-resident Indian (NRI) applicants.
The health ministry has also launched a 24x7 toll-free helpline (1800-102-7637) and a dedicated grievance email (mcc2026@gov.in) to address candidates' queries. Also Read | India overhauls public ambulance network with heavy fines for delays, poor care The counselling rollout follows a turbulent phase for competitive exams in India.
The BriefWire