The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released new and mandatory guidelines for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) aspiring to secure admission to MBBS and BDS programmes through NEET UG 2025 counselling. As per the updated rules, candidates under the PwBD category must now obtain a disability certificate exclusively from one of the 16 MCC-designated centres across India.
The revised policy follows the interim regulations issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which recently introduced a self-declaration process focusing on functional competencies rather than percentage-based disability metrics. This marks a significant shift in the evaluation and verification procedure for candidates with benchmark disabilities.
Key Changes in the PwBD Admission Process
To be considered for All India Quota (AIQ) seats under the PwBD category, eligible candidates must:
After submitting the required documentation to the designated disability assessment centres, the medical board will evaluate the candidate’s declared abilities. Based on this assessment and the details in the UDID and affidavit, a disability certificate will be issued, which is compulsory to avail of the PwBD reservation during counselling.
Importantly, only those candidates who secure their certificate from MCC-authorised centres will be able to access and choose PwBD-reserved seats in the AIQ counselling process. Candidates seeking admission through the state quota (85%) will need to get certified by state-level disability boards.
These new rules aim to ensure a transparent and standardised evaluation process for PwBD candidates and align with the broader reforms in inclusive medical education.