The Union health minister also announced a series of tech-driven, student-centric reforms to simplify and speed up undergraduate medical admissions nationwide.
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.
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 National 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 National Testing Agency (NTA) and complete digitization of registrations for non-resident Indian (NRI) applicants.
The health ministry has also launched a 24×7 toll-free helpline (1800-102-7637) and a dedicated grievance email (mcc2026@gov.in) to address candidates’ queries.
The counselling rollout follows a turbulent phase for competitive exams in India.
NEET UG 2026, held on 3 May and attempted by more than 2.2 million students, was cancelled following a paper leak. A re-examination was held on 21 June with nearly 2 million candidates, and the results were declared on 16 July.
About the Author
Priyanka Sharma
Priyanka Sharma is a journalist at Mint, where she covers the Union Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. Her work focuses on explaining government policies and how they impact healthcare and the medicine market in India. With 12 years of experience in journalism, she has built a reputation for providing clear and honest news on important health topics that affect the entire country.
Her educational background includes a journalism degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and specialized training in public health from the Public Health Foundation of India. Before her current role at Mint, Priyanka worked with India Today, The Pioneer, and ANI. She also served as a lead consultant for the National Health Authority, which gave her firsthand knowledge of how the government manages large-scale health programmes.
Priyanka is based in New Delhi and is an avid traveller who loves visiting the mountains. She has a great interest in regional flavours, particularly South Indian food.
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