New Delhi, February 1, 2026: In a significant development during NEET PG 2025-26 counselling, more than 800 aspirants changed their category from Indian to Non-Resident Indian (NRI).
According to an official list released recently, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has approved 811 Indian-to-NRI category conversions.
Usually, postgraduate medical admissions conclude by 30th September. However, the 2025-26 counselling cycle extended well beyond this deadline.
Authorities cited exceptional circumstances, warning that denying NRI admissions at this stage could leave the NRI quota seats vacant which may cause significant financial losses to medical colleges.
As a result, admissions under the expanded NRI criteria were permitted strictly as a one-time arrangement for the current academic year.
Under current regulations, private and deemed universities can reserve up to 15 percent of postgraduate seats under the NRI quota. While these seats come with significantly higher tuition fees, they usually involve lower competition, reduced cut-offs, and greater access to high-demand clinical specialties.
For many private institutions, NRI seats form a critical revenue stream. For candidates with financial backing, they offer an alternative route into postgraduate medical education despite low NEET PG scores.
Courts have consistently upheld the argument that private medical colleges cannot bear financial losses due to vacant NRI seats. Over time, this has led to a broader interpretation of NRI eligibility.
Candidates without NRI parents or siblings are now permitted to apply as wards of:
NRI uncles or aunts
NRI grandparents
Other close relatives who can sponsor them
This expanded definition has significantly increased the pool of eligible candidates.
According to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), 811 NEET PG aspirants were approved for conversion from the Indian category to the NRI quota during the 2025–26 counselling cycle. Of these, 113 candidates belonged to Category 1 (NRIs or children of NRIs), while a much larger group of 698 candidates fell under Category 2 (wards of NRI relatives), including those sponsored by first- or second-degree relatives such as uncles, aunts, or grandparents.
In Category 1, the lowest recorded score was 82 out of 800, and 66 percent (75 candidates) scored below 215, typically corresponding to ranks beyond 1.5 lakh. The disparity is even more pronounced in Category 2, where the lowest score dropped to 28 out of 800, and over 60 percent (422 candidates) were ranked below 1.5 lakh.
NRI quota seats are among the most expensive in Indian medical education. Annual tuition fees range from ₹45 lakh to ₹95 lakh per year.
The fee structure varies based on specialty, state, and type of institution.
For many aspirants, NRI conversion offers three major advantages:
Lower Cut-offs: Often lower than even management quota seats
Access to Clinical Branches: High-demand specialties become attainable
Reduced Competition: due to less number of candidates compared to the general pool
(Rh/VK)