The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has revealed new standards for NEET UG 2025 applicants under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quota in a major step towards improving openness and inclusiveness in the medical education system. Responding to a Supreme Court ruling and modified recommendations by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which underline a function-based assessment of disability, the updated instructions replace the former percentage-based approach. 

The new framework seeks to guarantee that applicants with baseline impairments looking for MBBS admissions are handled fairly and equitably. Under the PwBD quota, all candidates would be required to have a new medical evaluation at one of the 16 MCC-approved disability certification facilities around India. Candidates seeking MBBS admissions under the All India Quota (AIQ) reserved seats must also provide a fresh disability certificate from these authorised centres to be deemed qualified. 

Following the Supreme Court ruling in the Om Rathod versus Union of India case, this modification in the disability assessment method comes about. Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the apex court ordered the adoption of a more inclusive and rights-based framework for disability evaluation. Following this, the NMC has adopted a function-based strategy instead of conventional disability percentage calculations. In March 2024, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment sent a formal notification that reinforced this strategy. 

Candidates for PwBD must satisfy a number of compulsory requirements under the new system to be deemed eligible under the category. Excluding candidates with visual impairments, they have to qualify in NEET UG 2025, possess a current Unique Disability ID (UDID) card of Yellow category or greater, and have a medical check-up at one of the authorised centres. They must also submit a self-certified form customized to their particular impairment as well as a supporting affidavit following specified templates (Appendix A to F). Failure to fulfill these criteria would disqualify them from consideration under the PwBD quota in the AIQ counseling sessions. 

The disability verification is now a more subtle process that considers the candidate’s functional skills, including mobility, communication, and cognitive or physical abilities pertinent to the practice of medicine. At every disability facility, a designated medical board will evaluate the applicants using these functional standards instead of a general percentage score. Candidates will have to show particular abilities depending on their particular condition, like the ability to write, move alone, or grasp and use medical terms. 

For practical assessment, candidates with visual impairment must carry their own low vision aids (LVAs). Similarly, candidates with locomotor disabilities will be assessed on their upper or lower limb function. Those with illnesses like thalassemia, hemophilia, autism spectrum disorder, or mental disease must submit both the general self-certification form (Appendix A) and a condition-specific affidavit matching their medical records. 

The MCC has also defined the list of required papers that candidates must show at their medical evaluation. These include the NEET UG 2025 result, a valid UDID card of the correct category, a self-certification form, and the relevant affidavit. Before a last judgment is made, the appropriate medical boards will carefully review these papers. 

Candidates intending to reapply or take part in upcoming sessions will need to undergo re-certification as per the most recent standards; thus, the disability certificate awarded under this new system will be valid only for the 2025–26 academic year. For those applying under the 85% State Quota seats, certificates can be obtained from the State Disability Boards; however, the assessment process will also be governed by the same NMC guidelines to maintain consistency across both central and state quotas. 

Among the 16 designated disability certification centres are premier institutions like Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, IPGMER in Kolkata, Grant Medical College in Mumbai, AIIMS Nagpur, and AIISH Mysuru—especially for those with hearing and speech impairments. Based on the revised criteria, these centres are ready to carry out thorough evaluations.

Through this revised framework, the government hopes to guarantee that those entering the medical profession have the required functional abilities to provide competent care while upholding the rights of candidates with disabilities. The changes represent a significant first step toward building inclusive medical education settings that strikes a balance between fairness and real readiness.