The Ladakh administration on Tuesday announced revised guidelines for admissions to MBBS and BDS seats allocated to the Union Territory under the Central pool, cancelling the earlier category- and roster-based system and directing that a single merit list be used for selection.
Single merit list to replace roster and multiple categories
The Health and Medical Education Department, with the approval of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, issued the amended rules after the administration created seven new districts in Ladakh. The change means candidates will now be considered from one combined merit list regardless of domicile district, gender or reservation status.
“With the issuance of the new guidelines, the existing system of separate categories and roster shall be discontinued… a single merit list shall be maintained irrespective of the domicile district, sex, or reserved or unreserved status of the candidates,” an official spokesman said.
Under the previous arrangement, introduced in 2021, admissions to Central-pool medical seats in Ladakh were governed by several categories and a roster system. Those categories included separate consideration for Leh and Kargil, reserved and unreserved candidates, and male and female applicants, in addition to other classifications prescribed by the earlier guidelines.
Admissions to be strictly NEET-based for 2026-27
The revised guidelines make clear that admission to the colleges receiving Central-pool seats will be conducted strictly on the basis of NEET merit/ranking and the preferences exercised by eligible candidates. The department said the change applies to the seats allotted for the academic year 2026-27.
For this academic year, the Centre has allocated a total of seven MBBS and two BDS seats to Ladakh under the Central pool, the spokesman said. The MBBS seats have been placed at institutions across several states, while the BDS seats have been allotted to dental colleges in Uttar Pradesh and another state.
Where the seats have gone
| Course | College | Location (State) |
|---|---|---|
| MBBS | Lady Hardinge Medical College | New Delhi |
| MBBS | LLRM Medical College | Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) |
| MBBS | Maulana Azad Medical College | Delhi |
| MBBS | RSDKS Government Medical College, Ambikapur | Chhattisgarh |
| MBBS | Dumka Medical College | Jharkhand |
| MBBS | MLB Medical College, Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh |
| MBBS | Chandulal Chandrakar Memorial Medical College, Durg | Chhattisgarh |
| BDS | KG Dental College | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) |
| BDS | Government Dental College | (College name continued in official release) |
The official release listed the beneficiary institutions by name. It noted that the two BDS seats were allotted to KG Dental College, Lucknow, and another Government Dental College. The statement did not expand on the precise location of the second dental seat beyond the college name fragment included in the announcement.
Implications for applicants in Leh and Kargil
Students from across Ladakh who seek admission under the Central pool should note the key procedural changes: selection will be entirely driven by the national entrance test ranking (NEET) and the order of preferences indicated by candidates. The previous district-based and gender-based rosters will no longer be used to allocate the available seats.
- Eligibility and ranking: NEET merit/rank will be the primary criterion.
- Choice of college: Admissions will follow preferences exercised by eligible candidates.
- No district roster: Domicile within Leh or Kargil will not produce separate lists for Central-pool seats.
The Health and Medical Education Department did not alter the total number of Central-pool seats for 2026-27; it only revamped the selection mechanism. Prospective applicants should consult the department's official notifications and counselling schedules once dates for counselling and seat allotment are released.
Officials said the revision follows administrative changes in Ladakh's internal boundaries and is intended to streamline the admission process. The spokesman stressed that all admissions will adhere to NEET rankings and choices exercised by candidates, consistent with the amended guidelines.
