MBBS admissions 2026: NMC allows temporary UDID, disability certificate holders to be considered under PwBD quota
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued an addendum to its recently released Guidelines on Assessment of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) for Admission to the MBBS Course, 2026, clarifying that eligible candidates will not be denied admission under the PwBD quota solely because they hold a temporary Unique Disability Identity (UDID) Card or temporary Disability Certificate.
The clarification, issued on August 5, 2026, comes after the NMC's July 27 notification, which stated that every candidate applying under the PwBD category must have a valid Permanent UDID Card.
The latest addendum aligns the guidelines with an Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, on December 17, 2025.
In the Office Memorandum, the Ministry had clarified that persons with benchmark disabilities that are progressive, non-progressive, or not likely to improve should not be denied statutory benefits merely because their disability certificate is temporary in nature.
Accordingly, the Commission clarified that Clause 9.2 should be read harmoniously with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Rules, 2024, and the aforesaid Office Memorandum dated 17.12.2025.
As per the addendum, candidates should not be denied consideration solely on the ground that the UDID Card or Disability Certificate is temporary, where the disability has been categorized as "progressive, non-progressive or not likely to improve". However, their disability status must be verified by the Medical Assessment Board according to the MBBS admission guidelines issued on July 27, 2026.
For candidates holding a temporary UDID Card with a disability marked as "likely to improve," the Medical Assessment Board will re-assess the benchmark disability of the candidates as per the assessment methodology prescribed under the Notification dated 12th March, 2024 issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, apart from assessing the functional competency as per the provisions prescribed under the Guidelines dated 27.07.2026.
The Medical Assessment Board will continue to independently assess the candidate's functional competency in accordance with the Guidelines dated 27.07.2026, before issuing the Eligibility Certificate.
The Commission stated that the clarification has been issued to ensure uniform implementation of the PwBD assessment guidelines and that the addendum will form an integral part of the guidelines issued on July 27, 2026.
To view the addendum, click on the link below:
