Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026: OJEE Makes Eligibility Certificate Mandatory for PwBD Candidates

Odisha's medical admission body has tightened the rules for candidates seeking reservation under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category. The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Committee has notified that PwBD candidates cannot participate in Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026 for MBBS and BDS seats unless they first secure an Eligibility Certificate from a designated Medical Assessment Board. A disability certificate alone will no longer be accepted as proof of eligibility.

This isn't an isolated state-level decision. It flows directly from the National Medical Commission's newly issued "Guidelines on Assessment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities for Admission to the MBBS Course, 2026," which the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has already applied to the All India Quota round of NEET UG counselling this year.

Why the certificate name — and the process — has changed

Until now, PwBD reservation was largely decided by the disability percentage recorded on a candidate's Unique Disability Identification (UDID) card. Under the revised 2026 framework, assessment boards instead evaluate whether a candidate can realistically perform the functional competencies an MBBS course demands, with reasonable accommodations factored in. A disability alone no longer disqualifies anyone — the board decides fitness for the course, not just the severity of the condition. The 40% benchmark disability threshold under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 continues to apply as the minimum for reservation eligibility.

Because the purpose of the certificate has shifted from recording disability to certifying course-readiness, the document itself has been renamed the Eligibility Certificate. To make the process more accessible, the NMC has also expanded the number of designated assessment centres nationwide from 16 to around 61–62.

What OJEE candidates must now do

For Odisha's 85% state quota MBBS and BDS seats, PwBD candidates should:

1. Locate a designated Medical Assessment Board from the official list (state boards for the state quota, or any MCC-designated centre where applicable).

2. Carry the NEET UG 2026 scorecard confirming eligibility for the MBBS/BDS course.

3. Carry the permanent UDID card issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).

4. Undergo the functional competency assessment at the board.

5. Obtain the Eligibility Certificate before registering a PwBD-category claim in OJEE counselling.

OJEE has clarified that the assessment for state quota candidates must still be conducted strictly according to the NMC's 2026 guidelines, even when done through a state-level board rather than a central one. Candidates are also being warned that submitting a fake UDID card or a false affidavit can lead to cancellation of the allotted seat and legal action.

Where this fits in the Odisha NEET UG 2026 counselling timeline

OJEE is expected to open registration for Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026 around August 2026, with document upload, state merit list release, choice filling, and seat allotment to follow across Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up, and Stray Vacancy rounds. Odisha's 2026-27 cycle also carries a significantly revised horizontal and vertical reservation matrix, so candidates should treat the Eligibility Certificate as one item on a longer document checklist rather than a standalone requirement.

What happens if a candidate skips this step

Based on the MCC's parallel directive for the central counselling round, candidates who fail to obtain the certificate before choice-locking risk being unable to claim a PwBD seat at all — with no provision for retrospective correction once choices are locked. Given how tight Odisha's counselling windows tend to be once registration opens, candidates in this category are better off completing the assessment early rather than waiting for the OJEE notification.