Leh: The Ladakh administration has revised the guidelines for admission to MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) seats under the Central Pool for the 2026-27 academic session, replacing the earlier category-based roster with a single merit list based on NEET ranking.

The revised guidelines were issued by the Health and Medical Education Department of the Union Territory of Ladakh following the formation of seven new districts. The changes have been approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, according to the Ladakh administration.

Under the revised system, eligible candidates will be considered through a common NEET merit list, irrespective of their domicile district, sex or reserved or unreserved status.

Category-based roster discontinued

The earlier admission system, introduced in 2021, used separate categories and a roster to allocate Central Pool medical and dental seats.

The system included classifications based on reserved and unreserved status, Leh and Kargil districts, and male and female candidates, among other categories.

The revised guidelines discontinue these separate classifications for the purpose of the Central Pool allocation.

Instead, candidates with a valid NEET ranking will be placed on a single merit list. Allocation of seats will be based on the candidate’s NEET merit or ranking and the choices exercised during the admission process.

The change marks a shift from the earlier district, gender and category-based roster to a common merit-based mechanism.

Seven MBBS and two BDS seats allotted

For the 2026-27 academic session, the Government of India has allotted seven MBBS and two BDS seats to Ladakh under the Central Pool.

One MBBS seat has been allotted at each of the following institutions:

  • Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi
  • LLRM Medical College, Meerut
  • Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi
  • RSDKS Government Medical College, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh
  • Dumka Medical College, Jharkhand
  • MLB Medical College, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
  • Chandulal Chandrakar Memorial Medical College, Durg, Chhattisgarh

The two BDS seats have been allotted to KG Dental College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and Government Dental College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, with one seat at each institution.

Seven-day application window

Eligible candidates holding a valid NEET ranking will be given seven days to apply for the Central Pool MBBS and BDS seats.

Applications will have to be submitted through the official Ladakh NIC portal within the stipulated period.

The administration has advised eligible candidates to check the official website of the Union Territory of Ladakh for the detailed revised guidelines, application procedure and other relevant information.

The revised process is intended to provide a common merit-based system for the limited Central Pool medical and dental seats allotted to Ladakh for the 2026-27 academic session.