NEET PG 2026 admission: over 100 EWS candidates allotted seats with fees up to Rs 2.1 crore

More than 100 candidates eligible for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota have been allotted postgraduate medical seats in private colleges with tuition fees reaching up to Rs 2.1 crore for a three-year course. These allotments occurred during the first round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling, with candidates securing seats in the open category under the self-financed quota based on their preferences and rank.

This development follows a similar trend from last year, when approximately 148 EWS students gained admission to expensive management and NRI quota seats in private medical colleges. The National Medical Commission (NMC) then called for state-level probes into these allotments, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of EWS admissions in high-fee structures.

High-Value Allotments in Private Institutions

Specific instances from the current counselling round illustrate the high costs involved. One EWS candidate was allotted a seat in MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, with a three-year tuition fee of approximately Rs 2 crore. Another EWS candidate secured an MD radio-diagnosis seat at Raja Rajeswari Medical College, Bengaluru, incurring a three-year tuition fee of around Rs 1.8 crore.

These allotments reflect candidate choices and merit within the counselling process. The issue of EWS candidates accessing such expensive seats has drawn attention from regulatory bodies, particularly given the intent of the EWS quota to support economically disadvantaged students.

Historical Context of EWS Quota and Fee Structures

The EWS quota, introduced by the Constitution’s 103rd amendment, has faced legal challenges regarding its implementation criteria. On January 6, 2022, the Supreme Court was informed that no study had been undertaken before fixing the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit for the EWS quota. Senior Advocate Arvind Datar stated, “They are justifying the Rs 8 lakh limit and we have much to say about this…The fundamental question is has any exercise been undertaken. Now in this affidavit they admit that no exercise was undertaken. Only now they undertook.” The office memorandum establishing the Rs 8 lakh EWS criteria was issued on January 17, 2019.

The Centre filed an affidavit on December 31, stating its decision to prospectively accept recommendations to retain the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit for the EWS quota for the current admission cycle. It urged the Supreme Court to allow counselling to proceed based on the existing Rs 8 lakh criteria, noting its operation since 2019. A three-member committee, comprising Ajay Bhushan Pandey, V K Malhotra, and Sanjeev Sanyal, was appointed by the government to assess the feasibility of the Rs 8 lakh limit.

Disputes over Management Quota Fees

Private colleges have historically sought to charge higher fees for management quota seats, often on par with NRI quota fees, which can be up to five times the fees of merit students. In 2018, the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA) stipulated a three-tier fee structure: NRI quota students up to five times merit fees, and management quota students up to three times merit fees.

On April 4, 2018, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) in Maharashtra decided to exclude management quota seats from the 2018 admission process for postgraduate courses due to a stalemate over fees. Dr. Pravin Shingare stated, “At the eleventh hour, private medical colleges are demanding that they be allowed to charge five times fees from students joining under the management quota. Hence, we will now go ahead with PG admissions without filling the 35% management quota seats.” This decision meant that around 140 PG medical seats in Maharashtra were likely to remain vacant that year if the dispute continued. Kamal Kishore Kadam, president of the Association of Managements of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges, noted that until a year prior, higher fees were charged for management quota admissions.

Candidates allotted seats in the first round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling have the option to retain their seats, seek an upgrade in subsequent rounds, or exit the counselling process.

Further reading

• WB NEET PG 2026 round 1 merit list out; choice filling deadline November 1
• Gujarat NEET PG 2026 Round 1 seat allotment out: report by November 6
• CENTAC NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 registration deadline extended; apply under revised cut-off
• NTA revised exam calendar 2026-27 out: check new JEE Main, UGC NET, CUET PG dates
• NEET UG 2026: Apply for private MBBS seats now; fees slashed up to 40% Applications open
• NEET PG: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →