Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Registration Open, Seat Allotment Dates and Cutoff

Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026 is conducted by the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Board for admission to MBBS and BDS state quota seats in government and private medical colleges across Odisha. Registration opened on June 18, 2026 and the choice-locking deadline is June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM — candidates who have registered but not yet locked their college preferences must act immediately on ojee.nic.in. Approximately 1,813 MBBS state quota seats across 12 government and 5 private medical colleges are available through OJEE in 2026.

• Choice Locking Deadline: The last date to lock your college preferences is June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM on ojee.nic.in. After this time, the system auto-locks all saved choices in their current order. If your preferences are not arranged correctly, you may get a less preferred college — do not rely on auto-lock. Actively lock your choices before the deadline.
• Mock Seat Allotment: A mock allotment preview will be published on June 27, 2026 on ojee.nic.in. Use it to check which college you are likely to get based on your current choice order — you can still edit and rearrange your preferences after the mock result, right up to June 29 at 4:00 PM.
• Round 1 Seat Allotment: Round 1 allotment is expected in August 2026. In 2025, the provisional allotment was announced on August 16 and the final allotment on August 18. After allotment, you typically have 5–6 days to pay the seat confirmation deposit (Rs. 10,000 for General; Rs. 5,000 for SC/ST) and confirm your seat.
• New 2026 Reservation Policy Alert: Odisha approved a major reservation change in April 2026 — ST reservation rises to 22.5% (from 12%) and SC rises to 16.25% (from 8%). Total vertical reservation now touches 50%. General category candidates should expect significantly tighter closing ranks in 2026 compared to 2024 and 2025 data.

What is Odisha NEET Counselling 2026?

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026 is the state-level admission process for filling MBBS and BDS seats in medical and dental colleges across Odisha through NEET UG scores. The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Board, functioning under the Directorate of Medical Education and Training, Government of Odisha, conducts this counselling every year.

OJEE fills 85% of government college seats through the state quota. The remaining 15% of government college seats go to All India Quota (AIQ) candidates through MCC counselling. Private medical colleges in Odisha fill 100% of their seats through OJEE. Odisha is a closed state for medical admissions — only candidates with a valid Odisha domicile certificate can apply for state quota seats.

Odisha has 12 government medical colleges, 5 private medical colleges, and 4 dental colleges. Together these institutions offer around 2,675 MBBS seats and 363 BDS seats. Of these, approximately 1,813 MBBS seats are available under state quota through OJEE. AIIMS Bhubaneswar (125 MBBS seats) is a central institution and does not participate in OJEE counselling.

Source: OJEE — MBBS/BDS Counselling Official Portal

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026 Registration: Act Before June 29

Registration for Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026 is currently open on ojee.nic.in. The window opened on June 18, 2026. The final deadline to lock your college choices is June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM — just three days away as of today.

Warning: After 4:00 PM on June 29, 2026, the OJEE system will auto-lock all choices in the order they are currently saved. If your college preferences are not arranged in your desired order, you may be allotted a less preferred college. Do not wait. Log in to ojee.nic.in today and complete all pending steps.

Here is what you must do before June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM:

• Register (if not done): Visit ojee.nic.in and register using your NEET UG 2026 roll number and date of birth. Pay the registration fee of Rs. 1,000 (General) or Rs. 500 (SC/ST/PwD) online.
• Upload documents: Upload scanned copies of your Odisha domicile certificate, NEET scorecard, photographs, and Class 10/12 certificates. Ensure file sizes and formats match the portal requirements.
• Fill college choices: Browse all participating colleges and add them in your order of preference. Add as many colleges as possible — there is no upper limit on the number of choices.
• Check mock allotment (June 27): Review the mock allotment published on June 27 to see which college you are likely to get based on your current choice order. Revise if needed before June 29.
• Lock choices before June 29, 4:00 PM: Click the "Lock Choices" button to confirm your final preference list. Always take a printout of the locked choice sheet as proof.

The registration fee and seat confirmation deposit are governed by separate rules. The registration fee (Rs. 1,000 / Rs. 500) is non-refundable under all circumstances. The seat confirmation deposit (Rs. 10,000 for General; Rs. 5,000 for SC/ST) is collected at the time of allotment and is refundable only if you report to the college and complete admission formalities.

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Important Dates

The table below shows all key events for Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026. Upcoming events are listed first in chronological order, followed by events that have already passed.

All dates from Round 1 onwards are expected based on the 2025 counselling schedule. The registration and choice-filling phase in 2026 started about 5–6 weeks earlier than 2025, so allotment rounds may also advance by a similar margin. Check ojee.nic.in regularly for confirmed dates.

Source: OJEE Official Schedule and Notices

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Eligibility Criteria

You must meet all four conditions below to participate in Odisha NEET UG Counselling 2026. Missing even one condition makes you ineligible for state quota seats.

1. Nationality and Domicile

• You must be an Indian National.
• You must be a permanent native of Odisha with a valid Domicile/Nativity Certificate issued by the competent authority (Tahsildar) of your home district in Odisha.
• Children of All India Service (AIS) officers allotted to the Odisha cadre are also eligible for the state quota.
• Candidates from other states are not eligible for the 85% state quota. They can only apply for the 15% AIQ seats in Odisha government colleges through MCC counselling.
• OCI card holders and NRI candidates can apply for NRI quota seats in private medical colleges through a separate fee structure.

2. Age Limit

• You must be at least 17 years old on or before December 31, 2026.
• There is no upper age limit for MBBS/BDS admissions as per current NMC guidelines.

3. Academic Qualification

• You must have passed Class 10+2 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English as compulsory subjects.
• You must have passed each subject individually — an aggregate pass is not sufficient.
• Minimum aggregate marks in PCB:
  • General / EWS: 50% in PCB
  • SC / ST / SEBC / PwD: 40% in PCB
• Candidates appearing in Class 12 in 2026 can register, but admission is confirmed only after passing with the required percentage.

4. NEET UG 2026 Qualifying Percentile

You must have qualified NEET UG 2026 with at least the minimum percentile set by NTA:

This is only the minimum qualifying score. The actual seat allotment cutoff in Odisha is much higher — General candidates typically need 580+ marks to secure any government college seat in Odisha.

5. Bond Obligation

All candidates admitted through Odisha state quota must execute a bond on Rs. 21 non-judicial stamp paper at the time of reporting to college. This bond commits you to two years of compulsory medical service in Odisha after completing your MBBS degree. The penalty for not fulfilling the bond is Rs. 25 lakh. Mid-course dropout (leaving MBBS before completing the degree) carries a penalty of Rs. 10 lakh. Prepare this bond document before your reporting date.

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Choice Filling and Seat Locking

Choice filling is the most important step in Odisha NEET Counselling 2026. Your allotment depends entirely on your NEET rank, your category, and the order in which you have locked your college preferences. The choice-locking window closes June 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM.

How to Fill Choices

• Log in to ojee.nic.in using your registered counselling credentials after submitting the application form.
• Browse the list of participating colleges and available courses for your category.
• Add colleges in your order of preference — your most-preferred college goes first.
• There is no upper limit on the number of choices you can add. Include all colleges you are willing to consider.
• You can edit, reorder, or remove choices any number of times before the locking deadline.
• Click Lock Choices to confirm your final preference list. Take a printout of the locked choice sheet as confirmation.

Auto-Lock Rule

If you do not manually lock your choices before the June 29 deadline, OJEE applies an auto-lock on your last saved preferences at 4:00 PM. Choices you added but did not save will not be included. Always manually lock — do not rely on auto-lock, as the saved order may not match your intended preference.

Mock Seat Allotment on June 27, 2026

OJEE publishes a mock allotment preview on June 27, 2026. This shows which college you are likely to get based on your current choice order and the current registered candidate pool. It is not binding — you can still edit and rearrange your choices after seeing the mock result, right up to June 29 at 4:00 PM. Use the mock allotment to check whether your current top preference is reachable given your rank, or whether you need to reorder lower choices.

Freeze vs Float: After Each Allotment Round

• Freeze: You accept the allotted seat and exit all further rounds. You proceed directly to college admission. No upgradation is possible after Freeze.
• Float: You accept the allotted seat but remain eligible for upgradation to a higher-preference college in the next round. If no better seat materialises, you keep your current allotment. Float is the safer choice unless you are fully satisfied with your Round 1 seat.

Choice Filling Tips

• Add government colleges first — their annual fee is only around Rs. 20,000–30,000 compared to Rs. 6–19 lakhs in private colleges.
• Study 2024 and 2025 closing ranks before building your list so you know which colleges fall within your rank range.
• Add all colleges — including those in smaller towns — as later choices. Any government MBBS seat in Odisha is valuable.
• Don’t access the portal at the last minute on June 29 — server load peaks near deadlines.

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Document Verification

Document verification by OJEE is mandatory before the state merit list is published. You must attend in person at your selected verification centre on the scheduled date with all original documents and at least two sets of self-attested photocopies.

Documents Required for All Candidates

• NEET UG 2026 Admit Card
• NEET UG 2026 Scorecard / Rank Letter
• Class 10 Certificate and Marksheet (as Date of Birth proof)
• Class 12 Certificate and Marksheet
• Odisha Domicile / Nativity Certificate — issued by the Tahsildar of Odisha (most critical document — apply for it now if you have not already)
• School Leaving Certificate (SLC) or College Leaving Certificate (CLC)
• Recent passport-size photographs (minimum 6 copies)
• Government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar Card / Voter ID / Passport)
• Medical Fitness Certificate from a registered doctor
• Bond on Rs. 21 non-judicial stamp paper (prepare before reporting date)

Additional Documents for Reserved Category Candidates

• SC / ST candidates: Caste Certificate issued by the Odisha government. Certificates from other states are not accepted.
• SEBC candidates: SEBC Certificate issued by the Odisha government.
• EWS candidates: Income and Asset Certificate issued by the Odisha government authority.
• PwD / PC candidates: Disability Certificate from a Medical Board showing at least 40% disability.
• Ex-Servicemen (ES): Certificate from the Rajya Sainik Board, Odisha.
• Green Card (GC) holders: Valid Green Card issued by the Tahsildar, Odisha.
• State Government School (SGS) quota: Class 10 and 12 certificates from recognised Odisha government schools, showing continuous enrolment.

SC and ST caste certificates must be issued by the Odisha government. Certificates from other states will not be accepted for reserved category benefits in Odisha state quota. If your certificate is from another state, apply for a fresh Odisha certificate immediately through your local Tahsildar.

Top Medical Colleges in Odisha Accepting NEET 2026

Odisha has a strong mix of government and private medical colleges. Government colleges offer heavily subsidised fees and strong clinical exposure through large attached hospitals. Private colleges have higher fees but offer modern infrastructure.

Top Government Medical Colleges in Odisha

SCB Medical College in Cuttack is the oldest and most prestigious medical institution in Odisha, attached to one of the largest government hospitals in Eastern India. VIMSAR in Burla and MKCG in Berhampur follow closely, with strong hospital infrastructure and wide clinical exposure. Newer government colleges in Puri, Balasore, and Balangir are good options for General candidates in the 30,000–80,000 rank range. For SC/ST candidates, newer colleges in tribal districts like Koraput and Baripada attract relatively lower cutoffs and have strong community health rotation opportunities.

Top Private Medical Colleges in Odisha

KIMS and SUM Hospital are well-known nationally and have strong postgraduate programmes. Hi-Tech Medical College offers a more affordable fee compared to KIMS and SUM, making it a popular fallback for students who just miss government college cutoffs. AIIMS Bhubaneswar (125 MBBS seats) is a central institution and uses its own admission process — it does not participate in OJEE counselling.

Odisha NEET Counselling 2026: Reservation Policy

Odisha follows a state-specific reservation structure for NEET counselling. In April 2026, the Odisha government approved a major revision to its reservation policy, effective from the 2026–27 academic year. This change has significant implications for all categories.

New Vertical Reservation Structure (Effective from 2026)

This is a major change. SC reservation more than doubled from 8% to 16.25%. ST reservation went up by nearly 90%, from 12% to 22.5%. The total vertical reservation now touches the 50% constitutional ceiling. General category seats are significantly fewer in 2026. General candidates must not assume 2024 or 2025 closing ranks will hold — expect tighter competition for Open/UR seats.

Horizontal Reservation (Applicable Across All Vertical Categories)

Key Points About Odisha’s Reservation Framework

• Odisha does not have a standalone "OBC" category. SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) is the functional equivalent of OBC in Odisha, with 11.25% reservation.
• SC and ST caste certificates must be issued by the Odisha government. Certificates from other states are not valid for Odisha state quota.
• Green Card (GC) benefits families holding a valid Green Card issued by the local Tahsildar in Odisha, typically covering economically weaker families.
• SGS (State Government School) quota benefits candidates who studied from Class 1 to 12 entirely in Odisha government schools. You need school certificates proving continuous enrolment to claim this benefit.
• PwD/PC candidates need a disability certificate from a Medical Board confirming at least 40% disability, as per NMC guidelines.