NEET alone not enough for BDS admissions, eligibility criteria includes minimum 50 percent PCB marks: National Dental Commission
New Delhi: The National Dental Commission (NDC) has issued an important clarification for admission to Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses, reminding counselling authorities and dental colleges that qualifying the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) alone is not sufficient.
The clarification was issued through a circular by the Under-Graduate & Post-Graduate Dental Education Board (UG&PGDEB) of the NDC, and has been sent to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) as well as Directors of Medical Education (DME) and State Counselling Authorities across all States and Union Territories.
The circular stated that in addition to the prescribed NEET percentile, the eligibility criteria for admission to the BDS Course in Dental Colleges also include the requirement of a minimum of 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology taken together in the qualifying examination, as per the Revised BDS Course Regulations (5th Amendment) 2012.
According to the circular, to be eligible for admission to the BDS course, a candidate must have passed in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English individually and must have obtained a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology at the qualifying examination as mentioned in Sub-regulation 2 of Regulation I and, in addition, must have come in the merit list of NEET for admission to BDS course.
"In respect of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or other Backward Classes, the minimum marks obtained in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology taken together in the qualifying examination shall be 40% instead of 50%. In respect of candidates with locomotory disability of lower limbs in terms of sub-regulation 4, after the commencement of these amendments, of Regulation Il above, the minimum marks in the qualifying examination in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Bio-technology taken together in the qualifying examination shall be 45% instead of 50%," the notice further said.
"This is being highlighted here to avoid any possible lapses in this regard in the BDS admission process. All are requested to further disseminate this information to all those involved in the BDS allotment and counselling work in your organisation," the NDC added.
To view the circular, click the link below
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/2026/09/12/ndc-475233.pdf
