NEET UG Counselling 2026: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has announced a new appellate mechanism for candidates applying under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category in NEET UG Counselling 2026.
The move follows directions of the Supreme Court in M.A. No. 378/2025 in C.A. No. 14333/2024. The MCC, in a notice issued on August 7, said an Appellate Body has been constituted to assess disability-related appeals and facilitate PwBD candidates during the counselling process.
The notice also refers to an addendum issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to its July 27 notification on the guidelines for assessment of PwBD candidates seeking admission to the MBBS course in 2026.
Candidates who wish to claim the 5% PwBD reservation and have been declared ineligible by a Primary Disability Assessment Medical Board can now approach one of the authorised appellate boards, subject to the prescribed procedure.
NEET UG Counselling 2026 PwBD: Appellate Board Centres
MCC has identified five institutions as authorised Appellate Disability Assessment Boards:
VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi
Grant Government Medical College & Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai
Banaras Hindu University, Banaras
Madras Medical College, Chennai
Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), Kolkata
For candidates appearing before the Delhi board, the assessment venue will be Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
When should candidates submit an appeal?
Candidates declared ineligible by a Primary Disability Assessment Medical Board must submit their appeal before the commencement of their respective NEET UG counselling round.
MCC notice date: August 7, 2026
Appeal deadline: Before the commencement of the candidate's respective NEET UG counselling round
Assessment date and time: To be communicated individually by the nodal officer of the concerned Appellate Board
Assessment venue: To be communicated to the candidate based on the selected Appellate Board and scheduling
Counselling: Candidates will proceed with counselling after the appellate decision is communicated
The appeal has to be submitted through the email IDs provided on the MCC portal:
disabilityappealconvener@gov.in
Candidates must also mention their choice of Appellate Disability Assessment Board while submitting the appeal.
NEET UG PwBD Appeal Process: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Submit the appeal
A candidate declared ineligible by the Primary Disability Assessment Medical Board can submit an appeal through the designated email IDs. The appeal must be filed before the candidate's respective counselling round begins.
The candidate must also select one of the five authorised Appellate Disability Assessment Boards.
Step 2: Assessment is scheduled
Once the appeal is received, it will be shared with the selected appellate board.
The nodal officer of the concerned board will inform the candidate about the date, time, venue and other instructions after considering the candidate's availability.
Step 3: Report with documents
The candidate must report to the concerned Appellate Disability Assessment Board on the scheduled date.
The board will examine the candidate's relevant medical records and disability-related documents during the assessment.
Step 4: Disability assessment
The appellate board will assess the candidate according to the prevailing Guidelines for Assessing the Extent of Specified Disabilities, 2024, issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).
Where necessary, the board can also co-opt additional members for the assessment.
Step 5: Appellate board takes final decision
After examining the candidate and reviewing the available records, the Appellate Disability Assessment Board will issue a speaking order.
The decision will mention:
Disability status
Percentage of disability
Eligibility under the PwBD category for NEET UG counselling
The MCC has clarified that the decision of the Appellate Disability Assessment Board will be final.
Step 6: Decision sent to MCC
The final decision will be communicated to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), with a copy sent to the Directorate General of Health Services (Dte.GHS).
Step 7: Candidate continues with counselling
Once the appellate decision has been communicated, the appeal process will be treated as complete.
The candidate will then continue with the NEET UG counselling process according to the final decision of the Appellate Disability Assessment Board.
Primary Medical Assessment Boards for PwBD candidates
Apart from the five appellate boards, MCC has listed 65 Primary Medical Assessment Boards across different states and Union Territories. These boards issue Eligibility Certificates to PwBD candidates in accordance with NMC norms for claiming the 5% PwBD reservation.
The centres include institutions such as AIIPMR Mumbai, Goa Medical College, Government Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, SMS Medical College Jaipur, Government Medical College and Hospital Chandigarh, AIIMS Nagpur, ABVIMS and RML Hospital New Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College, AIISH Mysuru, KGMU Lucknow, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Jammu, JIPMER Puducherry, AIIMS Bhopal and NEIGRIHMS Shillong, among others.
Some centres have been assigned specific disability categories. For instance, AIIPMR Mumbai handles locomotor disability, while Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities in Mumbai handles hearing disabilities. AIISH Mysuru has been listed for speech and hearing disabilities.
The MCC has also instructed all Primary Medical Assessment Boards to include one PwBD doctor or health professional who is a regular employee as a member of the Medical Assessment Board.
