NEET PG 2026 Counselling: College Options At 45 K to 1.05 Lakh Rank, Free Exit & EWS Rules

NEET PG 2026 Counselling: College Options At 45 K to 1.05 Lakh Rank, EWS Rules: Watch Video!

NEET PG 2026 Counselling: Rank-wise College Chances, EWS Category Change and Free Exit Explained

Question: NEET PG rank 45,157 OBC category: What are the chances of getting DNB Ophthalmology?

Answer: Candidates with a NEET PG rank of around 45,157 in the OBC category can explore several DNB Ophthalmology options through MCC counselling. DNB seats are allotted through the central counselling process rather than state counselling. Based on previous-year closing ranks, some options for DNB Ophthalmology are:

Candidates should also consider the clinical exposure and patient load of the hospital while choosing DNB Ophthalmology. Dedicated eye hospitals can provide better exposure to ophthalmology procedures and cases. Candidates should keep their choices broad because the seat matrix may change from one counselling year to another.

Question: NEET PG rank 1,05,472 in General category: What are the chances for Paediatrics, Radiation Oncology, Emergency Medicine or Anaesthesiology?

Answer: A candidate with a NEET PG rank of 1,05,472 in the open category can explore private and deemed medical colleges. For deemed universities, several options may be available around this rank. Based on previous-year counselling trends, colleges include:

Candidates should note that deemed university fees are significantly higher than government medical colleges. Depending on the institution and course, tuition fees can run into several tens of lakhs per year. Hostel and other charges are additional. Therefore, candidates should compare fees, clinical exposure, patient load, infrastructure, location and branch preference before filling their choices.

Question: I applied for the NEET PG exam under the Open category because I did not have an EWS certificate. Can I claim EWS during counselling?

Answer: Candidates who did not have an EWS certificate while filling the NEET PG application form should understand the difference between MCC counselling and state counselling.

Can the category be changed in MCC counselling?

No. For MCC counselling, the category entered in the NEET PG application form is considered. Candidates cannot change their category from Open/General to EWS at the MCC counselling stage simply because they obtained an EWS certificate later.

Therefore, if a candidate applied for NEET PG 2026 as an Open-category candidate, the MCC counselling process will consider the candidate under the category provided in the examination application.

Can EWS be claimed during state counselling?

State counselling can have a different process. Candidates have to register separately for their respective state counselling and provide their counselling details and documents. Therefore, candidates can select EWS during state counselling, subject to the eligibility and document requirements of the concerned state counselling authority.

Question: What does Free Exit mean in NEET PG counselling?

Answer: Free Exit means that a candidate can leave a seat allotted in Round 1 of counselling without losing the security deposit or facing a penalty, subject to the applicable MCC counselling rules. For example, suppose a candidate is allotted a seat in Round 1 but is not satisfied with the college or course. If the candidate chooses not to join and exits the counselling process within the applicable rules, the candidate can avail of the free-exit provision.

Is Free Exit available in all rounds?

No. Free Exit is generally associated with Round 1. From Round 2 onwards, candidates who are allotted a seat and choose not to join face consequences such as forfeiture of the security deposit, depending on the applicable counselling rules. Therefore, candidates should understand the exit and resignation rules before accepting or leaving a seat in each counselling round.