EWS Certificate in NEET 2026 - Eligibility, Qualification & Documents Required

EWS Certificate in NEET 2026 - Eligibility, Qualification & Documents Required

Deep PathakUpdated on 06 Feb 2026, 02:56 PM IST

The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate is an important document which has been introduced by the Indian government to provide reservation benefits to students belonging to economically weaker backgrounds. NEET is the national-level single medical entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses and the EWS certificate plays a vital role in ensuring equal opportunities for all aspirants.

LiveNEET 2026 LIVE: UG registration begins at neet.nta.nic.in; documents, photograph, exam schedule, admit cardFeb 11, 2026 | 10:24 PM IST

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has activated the NEET UG 2026 application form link on the official website. Students can register themselves at neet.nta.nic.in.

Read More
EWS Certificate in NEET 2026 - Eligibility, Qualification & Documents Required
EWS Certificate for neet

The EWS certificate in NEET provides some benefits to the students from the weak finance background such as, reservation under the EWS category during the NEET counselling and seat allotment process. Apart from this, the EWS category students are also given some concession in NEET form fees. This ensures that deserving candidates from economically weaker backgrounds have a fair chance of securing admissions in medical and dental colleges through the NEET exam. For all the details such as the importance of the EWS certificate for NEET, which EWS certificate is required for NEET, NEET EWS certificate format, how to get it and many more, students must read the full article.

Is EWS certificate required for NEET application form

Yes! if any candidate is applying under the EWS quota in NEET, then the EWS certificate is mandatory for NEET application form. While filling the NEET application form 2025, candidates are required to select their category. NTA in its NEET information bulletin 2025 has clearly stated that if any candidate is applying under the EWS category in NEET 2025, then they will have to upload their valid certificate for claiming EWS reservation in NEET.

Virohan Allied & Healthcare Programs

Allied & Healthcare programs | 20+ Partner Universities & Institutes | 98% placement record

Candidates should keep in mind that they should upload the valid EWS NEET certificate, as it will be cross-verified at the counselling by the concerned central or State counselling authority.

What is EWS quota in NEET? Who is eligible for the EWS certificate in NEET?

A person with an economically weaker background is someone whose annual family income is less than 8 lakhs, their family must not own an agricultural land of more than 5 acres, and should have a residential area of less than 1000 square feet. Also, the candidate should be of general category only. Students belonging to SC, ST and OBC category are not eligible for EWS certificate in NEET.

EWS quota in NEET history and reservation

The introduction of the EWS quota has been a significant step towards promoting social inclusion and giving equal opportunities to all sections of society. The EWS category was introduced through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 2019. The EWS reservation is given to a general category student only. As per the norms of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, an EWS certificate holder is given a reservation of 10% seats in national institutes and central universities for undergraduate courses through NEET UG. Candidates are asking "EWS certificate benefits in NEET."

Educational qualification required for EWS certificate for NEET

In order to appear for the NEET examination, the EWS candidates need to fulfil certain criteria -

  • The candidate must have passed the 10 + 2 standard or its equivalent from a recognised board in India.

  • The candidate must have passed with an aggregate mark of 40% in Physics, Chemistry and Biology taken together.

NEET 2026 Free Mock Test with Solutions
Download the NEET 2026 Free Mock Test PDF with detailed solutions. Practice real exam-style questions, analyze your performance, and enhance your preparation.
Download EBook

Also read:

NEET Syllabus: Subjects & Chapters
Select your preferred subject to view the chapters

Documents required for EWS certificate in NEET

  • Aadhar card

  • PAN card

  • Bank statement

  • Caste certificate

  • Income certificate

  • Proof of the property or land

  • Domicile certificate

  • Self declaration affidavit

  • Passport size photograph

How to obtain an EWS certificate for NEET?

The EWS certificate is issued by the concerned State Government's Revenue Department or any other appointed authority. The application process involves providing necessary documents such as income certificates, residence proof, and other relevant documents. The entire process is typically centralised, and the certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance. The candidates need to obtain an “Income and Asset Certificate” issued by the competent authority.

This “Income and Asset Certificate” can be obtained from the below authorities and will be accepted as a proof of EWS claim of the NEET applicants.

  • District Magistrate/ Additional District Magistrate/ Sub-divisional Magistrate/ Commissioner/ Additional Deputy Commissioner

  • Revenue officer not below the rank of a Tehsildar

  • Sub-divisional officer of the area in which the candidate and his family live.

What is the validity of the EWS certificate for NEET?

The validity of an EWS certificate for NEET is one year. After one year from the date of issuance of the EWS certificate, it is not considered valid. The EWS certificate holder needs to update their EWS certificate from time to time.

The introduction of the EWS certificate in NEET has been widely appreciated for its efforts towards social inclusion and equal opportunities. It has opened doors for students who may not have been able to afford expensive coaching classes or have access to quality education due to their economic background.

Articles
|
Upcoming Medicine Exams
Ongoing Dates
KCET BSc Nursing Application Date

17 Jan'26 - 16 Feb'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
MH BSc Nursing CET Application Date

24 Jan'26 - 24 Feb'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
Odisha BSc Nursing Application Date

28 Jan'26 - 22 Mar'26 (Online)

Certifications By Top Providers
Biomolecules Structure Function in Health and Disease
Via All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi
Industrial Biotechnology
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Certificate Course in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Methodology
Via Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Nutrition in the Health Sector
Via The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
Pathology
Via Tsinghua University, Beijing
Online M.Sc Psychology
Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Andhra University
Coursera
 355 courses
Futurelearn
 310 courses
Edx
 233 courses
Udemy
 191 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe

Questions related to NEET

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NEET ?

Government Medical Colleges in states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra

You still have enough time. For NEET 2026 (drop year, 3 months left), focus on:

NCERT linebyline for highweightage chapters (Human Physiology, Plant Physiology, Cell, Biomolecules, Biological Classification, Plant/Animal Kingdom, Genetics, Ecology)

Daily chapterwise MCQs + PYQs and weekly full mocks with proper analysis

Useful Careers360 links for planning:

NEET

The NEET cut off 2025 for PwD (handicapped) candidates in Telangana was set at 40th percentile with 126 - 113 marks. Admission to government colleges in Telangana require higher marks as many as over 500 marks in NEET.

For more information, check the given below link.
https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/neet-cutoff-telangana


If a candidate qualifies for NEET PG only after the revision or reduction of the qualifying cut-off, registration for counselling is allowed only if the counselling authority opens a fresh registration or re-registration window for newly qualified candidates. If the system currently shows “you have not registered” and does not