NEET PG 2026: 100+ EWS candidates get open seats in private colleges, fees up to Rs 2.1 crore
By TUF News Desk · Published 31 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
More than 100 candidates from the economically weaker section have been allotted open-category postgraduate medical seats in private colleges in the first round of NEET PG 2026 counselling. The figure comes from the seat allotment list, reported on October 31. The seats carry private college fees, and for some courses the tuition runs to Rs 2.1 crore over three years.
The allotment list records the detail in a particular way. The candidates are listed under the EWS category, while the seat category against their names is open and the quota is shown as a self-financed merit seat. The candidates entered counselling under the EWS category and came out with open seats in private colleges, where the fee is set by the institution.
Two allotments show the fee range
One candidate, ranked 79,396 in NEET PG, secured an MS seat in obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College in Navi Mumbai. The three-year tuition fee for that course is around Rs 2 crore, according to the report.
Another candidate, ranked 71,263, was allotted an MD seat in radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College in Bengaluru. The three-year tuition fee there is around Rs 1.8 crore.
These two cases show how wide the fee range can be within a single round. The upper end, Rs 2.1 crore over three years, applies to some of the allotted courses, though the reports do not name every course that reaches that figure.
How the allotments happened
The candidates had listed these colleges and courses among their counselling choices, and the seats were allotted on the basis of those preferences and their ranks. A candidate who puts a private college course high on a preference list can be allotted that seat if the rank fits, whatever category the candidate belongs to.
Once allotted, a candidate has three options: retain the seat, seek an upgrade, or exit. For a seat with a fee running into crores, that choice carries more weight than usual, so checking the fee and course details for the individual allotment matters before deciding. The allotment list is available through the official MCC PG medical counselling portal.
Candidates weighing a high-fee private seat against other options can work through the how to choose a university in India guide first, and keep the admission documents checklist in hand for whatever step comes next.
Why the EWS detail matters
The EWS quota was introduced by the Union government in 2019 for sections of society not covered by reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. It was meant to give candidates from economically weaker households a separate route into education and public employment.
The allotments do not change that quota. They show that a candidate’s category and the category of the seat allotted are two different entries, and the two do not always match. When that seat sits in a private college under the self-financed quota, the fee follows the seat, not the candidate’s category.
For the candidates involved, the immediate question is practical. They have a seat, a fee figure, and a limited set of options for what to do with it. The reports do not say how many of the 100-plus candidates will take up their seats.
Frequently asked questions
How many EWS candidates were allotted open seats in NEET PG 2026 Round 1?
More than 100 EWS candidates were allotted open-category PG seats in private colleges in Round 1, according to the allotment list reported on October 31.
What does the self-financed merit seat quota mean in the allotment list?
The list shows candidate category EWS, seat category open, and quota self-financed merit seat, in private colleges.
How high are the fees on these seats?
Tuition fees for some of the allotted courses can go up to Rs 2.1 crore over three years. The two reported examples cost around Rs 2 crore and around Rs 1.8 crore.
What can a candidate allotted one of these seats do now?
Candidates can retain the seat, seek an upgrade, or exit, after verifying the fee and course details for their own allotment on the official MCC PG medical counselling portal.
Frequently asked questions
How many EWS candidates were allotted open seats in NEET PG 2026 Round 1?
More than 100 EWS candidates were allotted open-category postgraduate medical seats in private colleges in the first round, according to the seat allotment list.
What does the self-financed merit seat quota mean in the allotment list?
The list shows candidate category EWS, seat category open, and quota self-financed merit seat, in private colleges.
How high are the fees on these seats?
Tuition fees for some of the allotted courses can go up to Rs 2.1 crore over three years, with the two reported examples costing around Rs 2 crore and Rs 1.8 crore.
What can a candidate allotted one of these seats do now?
Candidates can retain the seat, seek an upgrade, or exit, as they were allotted seats based on the choices they had listed and their ranks.
Sources: The Times of India, The Wire