Over 100 EWS candidates allotted open PG seats in private colleges with fees up to Rs 2cr

In the first round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling, more than 100 candidates listed as belonging to the economically weaker section, or EWS, received postgraduate medical seats. Their allotted seats were recorded as open category, not EWS category. The quota was listed as self-financed merit seat in private medical colleges.

The allotments followed the candidates’ stated college and course preferences, together with their NEET-PG ranks. One candidate ranked 79,396 received MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai. The three-year tuition there is around Rs 2 crore. Another candidate ranked 71,263 received MD radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College, Bengaluru, costing around Rs 1.8 crore for three years.

The development highlights that an EWS-labelled candidate can receive an open seat when the counselling system matches preferences and rank with available seats. The candidates can retain their allotments, seek an upgrade, or exit. The article does not state how many will ultimately join.

A candidate’s EWS category and a seat’s open category describe two different things. EWS is a classification attached to the candidate. Open category is a classification attached to the seat or selection slot. Therefore, the two labels can appear together without being contradictory.

The NEET-PG allotment list recorded the candidates’ category as EWS, but showed their allotted seat category as open. It also identified the quota as a self-financed merit seat. This means the candidates’ EWS status did not change the category label assigned to the seats they received.

In general, an open seat is available through the common merit process rather than being restricted to a particular reserved category. The article specifically confirms the labels used in this allotment list, but does not explain the complete reservation rules. The key point is that candidate category and seat category are separate fields.

The first counselling round allotted open-category seats to more than 100 EWS candidates. These were postgraduate medical seats in private colleges under the self-financed quota. The major financial feature is the tuition: some courses can cost as much as Rs 2.1 crore over three years.

The article gives two examples. A candidate with rank 79,396 received MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College in Navi Mumbai, where three-year tuition is around Rs 2 crore. A candidate ranked 71,263 received MD radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College in Bengaluru, where tuition is around Rs 1.8 crore over three years.

These figures show the scale of the commitments attached to the allotments. The stated amounts are tuition figures, not necessarily total education or living costs. Candidates can still retain their seats, seek an upgrade, or exit, so the allotment list does not establish how many will finally enroll.

A self-financed merit seat generally means a seat in a private medical college whose costs are financed through the fees paid by the student, rather than through regular government funding. “Merit” indicates that the seat is allotted through the counselling process using exam rank, preferences, and available seats. The article uses this exact label for the allotments.

The list recorded the quota as “self-financed merit seat” while showing the seat category as open. This separates three details: the candidate’s EWS category, the open category of the seat, and the self-financed merit quota. The colleges named are private institutions, and their tuition is high.

For example, MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College costs around Rs 2 crore over three years. The article does not set out the legal or fee-setting rules for such seats. Its central point is that these are expensive private seats assigned through counselling.

A relatively lower NEET-PG rank does not by itself prevent a candidate from receiving an open seat in a private college. In this counselling round, candidates were allotted seats based on their listed preferences and rank. The available seat and the choices submitted by each candidate were therefore important parts of the match.

The article gives two examples. A candidate ranked 79,396 received MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai. Another, ranked 71,263, received MD radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College, Bengaluru. Both colleges and courses had been included in the candidates’ counselling choices.

The seats were expensive self-financed merit seats in private colleges. That makes them different from a single national ranking cutoff applied identically to every seat. The article does not provide the complete vacancy pattern or other candidates’ choices, so it cannot explain the exact closing rank for each course. It does establish that preferences and rank jointly shaped these allotments.

After receiving an allotment, candidates are not limited to accepting it immediately. The article states that they can retain the seat, seek an upgrade, or exit. These options matter because the allotted course, college, and very high tuition may not suit every candidate’s final decision.

Retaining means continuing with the seat already allotted. Seeking an upgrade means remaining in the counselling process in the hope of receiving a preferred available seat in a later round, subject to the counselling rules. Exiting means giving up the current allotment rather than continuing with it. The article does not describe deadlines or refund rules.

The choices are especially significant here because some courses cost up to Rs 2.1 crore over three years. A candidate may need to weigh the course and college against the financial commitment. The allotment list records offers, not final admissions. The article does not say how many candidates retained, upgraded, or exited.

NEET-PG counselling matches candidates with available postgraduate medical seats by considering their exam rank and the colleges and courses they selected. A candidate is allotted a seat when the counselling process reaches that choice and the seat is available under the relevant category and quota. The article presents rank and preferences as the key factors.

For instance, a candidate ranked 79,396 had listed MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, and received it. Another candidate ranked 71,263 listed MD radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College, Bengaluru, and received that seat. Both were recorded as EWS candidates, while their seats were open-category, self-financed merit seats.

After the first round, candidates may retain the allocation, seek an upgrade, or exit. The article does not describe the full counselling algorithm, tie-breakers, or later-round rules. It does show that rank is considered alongside individual choices and available seats, rather than operating alone.