NEET-MDS is an eligibility and ranking examination established by the Dentists Act of 1948 as the exclusive entrance test for enrollment to several MDS courses. A dentist can improve their career chances and get access to more advanced positions and greater pay by clearing the NEET-MDS.
Open States for NEET MDS Counseling refers to the states that permit applicants from any other Indian state to participate in their state quota counseling for private or management seats, while discussing NEET MDS (Master of Dental Surgery) counseling. As long as they fulfill the requirements and are eligible to take the NEET MDS test, non-resident applicants can apply for admission to the state’s dental institutions.
In this article, we will see the states open for NEET MDS Counseling and their admission procedure to make your dental journey smooth.
NEET MDS 2025 Latest Updates
The NEET MDS 2025 results are expected to be out on May 19, 2025. In this article, we will discuss the Open States for NEET MDS Counseling and its role in the counseling process.
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Contents
List of Open States for NEET MDS Counselling:
Open States for NEET MDS Counselling is a significant point because it expands the opportunities for students across the country to pursue their dental careers in diverse regions and institutions.
| Name of the State | NEET MDS seat allotment | State-specific Counselling Authority |
| Andhra Pradesh | 429 (out of these seats 50% are reserved for state quota) | Dr. YSR University of Health Sciences (YSRUHS), formerly known as Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS), Vijayawada |
| Arunachal Pradesh | – | The Directorate of Higher and Technical Education, Itanagar (APDHTE), conducts the state quota counseling for admissions to MDS courses in Arunachal Pradesh. |
| Assam | 10 (State Quota seats are filled by candidates selected based on merit in the NEET-PG held every year, followed by counseling) | Directorate of Medical Education (DME) Assam |
| Bihar | 84 (50% reserved for state quota) | The Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) conducts the Bihar NEET MDS counseling for state quota seats. |
| Chattisgarh | 170 | The Director of Medical Education (DME), Chhattisgarh, conducts the NEET MDS counseling for state quota seats. |
| New Delhi | 22 (50% of the MDS seats in dental colleges within New Delhi are exclusively for candidates who are domiciled in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.) | The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi, oversees the counseling process through the MCC. |
| Goa | 25 | The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) |
| Haryana | 281 (50% seats assigned under Haryana State Merit Category) | The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Haryana |
| Himachal Pradesh | 109 | Atal Medical and Research University (AMRU) is the primary authority responsible for managing and conducting MDS Counseling. |
| Jharkhand | 64 | The Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECEB) |
| Karnataka | 1192 | The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) |
| Kerala | 406 | The Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala, conducts the counseling for both state quota seats in Government Dental Colleges and all seats in Self-Financing Dental Colleges. |
| Madhya Pradesh | 309 | Department of Medical Education (DME) on behalf of the Government of Madhya Pradesh |
| Manipur | 166 per annum (including 50% All India Quota) | The Directorate of Health Services, Manipur |
| Meghalaya | – | North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong |
| Pondicherry | 19 (50% seats are allotted to the Union Territory of Puducherry.) | The Centralized Admission Committee (CENTAC) |
| Punjab | 175 | Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) Faridkot |
| Tamil Nadu | 766 | Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Chennai |
| Telangana | 330 | The Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) |
| Rajasthan | 353 | Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), Jaipur |
| Tripura | 24 | The Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Tripura |
| Uttrakhand | 36 | Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical Education University (HNBUMU) |
| Uttar Pradesh | 705 | Directorate General of Medical Education and Training (DGME), Lucknow |
| West Bengal | 125 (40% of the State Quota degree seats and 50% of the State Quota diploma seats in Medical and 40% degree seats in Dental are reserved for In-service teachers and medical officers of the Department (WBMES/WBHS/WBPHAS/WBDES/WBDS). | The West Bengal Medical Counselling Committee (WBMCC) |
Also Read:
NEET MDS Counselling 2024 – Everything You Must Know About Counseling
Eligibility Criteria for NEET MDS Counselling:
Here is the eligibility criterion for NEET MDS Counseling:
- A BDS degree from a dental school or institution approved by the Dental Council of India (DCI) is necessary.
- One year of mandatory rotatory internship completion is required, and the internship must be finished by June 30, 2025.
- Candidates must be registered with the State Dental Council, either provisionally or permanently, before appearing for the NEET MDS exam.
- Foreign applicants must get Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) permission, receive temporary exam registration from the DCI, and possess a BDS degree approved by the DCI.
NEET MDS Qualifying Marks of the Year 2024:
| Category | Revised Qualifying Cut-off Percentile |
| General (UR/EWS) | 28.308 |
| SC/ST/OBC (Including PWD of SC/ST/OBC) | 18.308 |
| UR-PWD | 23.308 |
NEET MDS 2025 Live Updates
Important: NEET MDS 2025 was held on 19th April 2025, and the results were declared on 15th May 2025 at natboard.edu.in. As results are announced, the NEET MDS Counseling 2025 will start shortly. Check natboard.edu.in for updates.
Update: NEET MDS 2025 admit card was released by NBEMS on April 15, 2025. Website to download NEET MDS 2025 admit card is https://cdn3.digialm.com/EForms/configuredHtml/1815/91773/login.html .
Update: NEET MDS 2025 cut-off has been released by NBEMS. The qualifying cut-off scores are as follows: General/EWS: 261, General PwBD: 244, SC/ST/OBC (including PwBD): 227. Visit natboard.edu.in for official details.
NEET MDS Counselling Process:
Here are the details and steps of the NEET MDS counselling process:
Step 1: Registration
Candidates must register on the official MCC website.
Enter details like NEET MDS roll number, application number, date of birth, etc.
After successful registration, login credentials will be provided.
Step 2: Choice Filling and Locking
Select preferred colleges and specializations.
Prioritize choices based on preferences and seat availability.
Step 3: Allotment of seats
Applications are reviewed by MCC, which then distributes seats according to availability, preferences, and merit.
Candidates will receive an allotment letter via email and post. Also, the provisional list will be uploaded to the MCC Website.
Step 4: Reporting to the college
Within the given time range, candidates must report to the designated college.
The college will handle the admissions process and document verification.
Step 5: Rounds of Counseling
Usually, there are several rounds of NEET MDS counseling (Round 1, Round 2, etc.).
If candidates are unsatisfied with their original allocation, they are free to compete in more than one round.
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Key Dates to Remember:
All the dates are important for the candidates during the NEET MDS Counseling Process, like:
- Deadlines for registration and fee payments.
- Choice filling and locking.
- Seat allocation results.
- Reporting to designated institutes.
NEET MDS 2024 Dates
| Registration Dates beginning | 01 July 2024 |
| Seat Allotment Result | 10 July 2024 |
Note: These dates are for NEET MDS Counseling Round 1.
NEET MDS 2025 Counselling Dates
The counseling schedule was released on June 19, 2025. According the schedule released, the counseling starts from June 24, 2025 for AIQ and Central Universities. Below is the detailed schedule for NEET MDS Counselling 2025:
| S.No. | Schedule for Admission | All India Quota/ Deemed & Central Universities | Sharing of Joined candidates Data by MCC | State Counselling | Sharing of Joined candidates Data by state DMEs/ State Counselling Authorities* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Round of Counselling | 24th June, 2025 to 3rd July, 2025 | 9th July to 11th July, 2025 | 1st July, 2025 to 8th July, 2025 | 14th July, 2025 |
| 2 | Last date of Joining | 8th July, 2025 | – | 13th July, 2025 | – |
| 3 | 2nd Round of Counselling | 12th July, 2025 to 18th July, 2025 | 28th July to 30th July, 2025 | 16th July, 2025 to 27th July, 2025 | 4th Aug, 2025 |
| 4 | Last date of Joining | 27th July, 2025 | – | 3rd Aug., 2025 | – |
| 5 | Round-3 | 1st Aug, 2025 to 8th Aug, 2025 | 17th Aug to 18th Aug, 2025 | 6th Aug, 2025 to 16th Aug, 2025 | 21st Aug, 2025 |
| 6 | Last date of Joining | 16th Aug, 2025 | – | 20th Aug, 2025 | – |
| 7 | Stray Vacancy | 19th Aug, 2025 to 23rd Aug, 2025 | – | 22nd Aug, 2025 to 25th Aug, 2025 | – |
| 8 | Last date of Joining | 30th Aug, 2025 | – | 30th Aug, 2025 | – |
| 9 | Commencement of Academic Session for MDS Courses | 25th July, 2025 | |||
Note: For ensuring faithful obedience of time schedule and also keeping in view the limited time available for conducting counselling, all participating institutes/colleges are directed to treat all Saturdays/ Sundays and Gazetted Holidays as working days.
*: The data of joined candidates will be shared by DMEs/ State Counseling Authorities to MCC for weeding out during seat processing of Round-3.
Also Read:
Tips for Successful Counselling
Here are some tips for successful counseling:
- Strong NEET MDS Performance: Focus on achieving a high NEET MDS test score, carefully consider and rank your top colleges and specialties, and actively engage in all counseling rounds to increase your chances of being assigned a chosen seat in NEET MDS counseling.
- Strategic Choice-filing approach: A systematic choice-filling method is essential in NEET MDS counseling as it has a direct impact on the likelihood of being admitted to a desired college and specialization. Your chances of being accepted into a preferred program and institute are increased when you arrange your options according to your priorities and the available seat information.
FAQs:
1. What is the NEET MDS exam for?
The NEET-MDS is a one-time entrance test for postgraduate dental programs. According to the Dentists Act of 1948, no other entrance test, whether administered at the state or institution level, would be accepted for admission to MDS courses.
2. How many students give the NEET MDS?
Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 candidates typically appear for the NEET Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) exam each year.
3. What is the age limit for NEET MDS?
NEET MDS requires applicants to be at least 20 years old. NEET MDS does not have an upper age limit.
4. Which MDS field is best?
The greatest MDS course is Oral Medicine and Radiology.
5. What is the salary of an MDS Doctor?
In India, an MDS dentist typically makes between Rs. 61,944 and Rs. 67,178 per month, with an average of Rs. 64,561.
6. Which state has the highest MDS seats in India?
Karnataka has the highest number of seats, which is 1192, including both government and private colleges.
Conclusion:
We have discussed all the open states for NEET MDS Counselling in India. To prevent any hassles, candidates must fully understand every step of the admissions and NEET MDS counseling process before enrolling. Candidates are required to keep themselves informed about all dates and information about the periodic NEET MDS Counseling.
