EWS Quota in NEET 2026: Full Form, Rules, Eligibility, Reservation, EWS Certificate

EWS Quota in NEET 2026 is a specific category designed to categorise applicants belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). The EWS quota in the NEET certificate is given to students whose family income is less than INR 8,00,000 per annum. The National Testing Agency (NTA), on behalf of the Government of India, has designed the EWS reservation in NEET to provide equal opportunities to economically weaker students for medical studies in the country.
The EWS quota in the NEET exam allows economically weaker students to benefit during the NEET seat reservation & seat allotment process. It also helps them to fill the NEET UG application form at low fees compared to other categories due to the reservation criteria in the exam. The NEET UG 2026 Exam was conducted on May 4, 2026. The NEET Cutoff 2026 for the EWS Quota in NEET 2026 is determined based on various criteria, including the overall difficulty level of the exam and the total number of students appearing in the entrance exam.

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What is the EWS Quota in NEET 2026?

EWS Quota in NEET 2026 was introduced by the Government of India in the academic year 2021 - 22. As per the regulation of the government, a total of 10% of All India Quota seats will be available under the NTA NEET EWS Quota Rules. The full form of EWS is the Economically Weaker Section. Candidates having the NEET 2026 EWS Certificate can apply for medical seats under this quota. This reservation was implemented to provide an opportunity for students from economically weaker backgrounds to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors or dentists. The NEET 2026 EWS Quota Eligibility is determined by the family's gross annual income, which should not exceed INR 8 LPA (lakhs per annum).

Is an EWS Certificate Required In NEET 2026 Application Form?

Yes, an EWS Certificate is required in the NEET 2026 application form if you want to claim a seat under this quota. You must upload the EWS certificate while applying for the NEET 2026 exam. NTA's information bulletin clearly states that students who claim to be EWS must have a valid document that they must upload during the application process for the NEET UG exam. The EWS certificate uploaded by the EWS category student will be verified by the central & state counselling authorities.

Educational Requirements for EWS Quota

EWS quota students must meet the educational requirements stated by the NTA authorities. Below mentioned are the educational requirements for EWS category students are given below.

1. You must pass 10+2 from a recognised board in India.
2. You must pass with a minimum of 40% marks in Physics, Chemistry & Biology subjects.

Documents Required Along With the EWS Certificate in the NEET Application Process

Along with the EWS documents, there are multiple documents required during the NEET 2026 application form, such as income certificate, caste certifcate etc. Below is the list of documents that will be required along with the EWS category certificate during the application process for NEET UG 2026.

• Bank statement
• Caste certificate
• Aadhar card
• PAN card
• Income certificate
• Proof of the property
• Domicile certificate
• Self declaration affitdavit
• Passport-sized photograph

Also Read: NEET 2026 Seat Matrix

Eligibility Criteria for EWS Quota in NEET 2026

As per the reservation policy, 10% of seats fall under the EWS reservation in NEET. However, there are some criteria that students must fulfill before they can apply for EWS certification. One of the major EWS criteria for NEET is that the family income of the applicant must be below INR 8,00,000 per annum. Refer to the pointers below for more details.

• Students' residential plot area should be less than 200 square yards (if in a non-notified municipality sector) to be deemed eligible for EWS Quota in NEET 2026.
• Students belonging to a family income of less than the sum of INR 8 LPA are deemed eligible to be considered for the EWS quota in NTA NEET.
• Students whose families do not own more than 5 acres of agricultural land are also deemed eligible for the EWS quota in NEET 2026.
• Students who own a residential flat area of not more than 1000 sq. ft and a residential plot area of less than 100 square yards are deemed qualified to appear in the exam under the EWS quota in NEET 2026.

Must refer to: NEET 2026 Login Application Number and Password

How to Apply for an EWS Certificate for NEET?

Candidates belonging to the EWS category can follow these steps to obtain their EWS certificate for NEET 2026 if they do not already have one:

Step 1: Obtain Required Certificates

The first step is to obtain INCOME and ASSET CERTIFICATES from the government authorities. The government authorities which can provide you with Income and Asset Certificates are given below:

• District Magistrate/ Additional District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner/ Additional Deputy Commissioner/

• Revenue Officers/ Tehsildar

• Sub-Divisional Officers

Step 2: Get Documents Verified

The Officer who issues the certificate will only do the same after carefully verifying all the relevant documents and following the due process as prescribed by the respective State/ UT.

Note: While applying in the EWS category for NEET 2026, applicants have to choose the category in the application form as "General-EWS". Also, there is no need to upload the EWS certificate in the NEET application form. The NEET 2026 EWS certificate will be verified at the Counselling by the Central or the State counselling authority. In case a candidate is unable to produce the EWS certificate, then their admission will be cancelled and will be counted for admission under the General category.

NEET 2026 Cutoff: State-Wise Breakdown

The state-wise cutoff marks for the NEET 2026 exam will be released after the counselling ends. So, till then, candidates can gain insights on NEET cutoff marks by analysing the previous year's data provided below.

Reservation for EWS Criteria for NEET 2026

• State Government Medical Colleges

• Central University/Institutes (with a reservation quota of 10%)

• National Institutes

These institutes provide a platform for candidates from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue their medical education. Fulfilling the required criteria and submitting the necessary documents is essential for eligible candidates to avail of the EWS reservation during the NEET 2026 admission process.

*Note: Candidates must note that the EWS Quota in NEET 2026 is applicable for BDS/MBBS/BUMS/BAMS/BHMS/BNYS/AIPT.

EWS Seat Matrix in NEET 2026

The NEET 2026 EWS seat matrix varies as per college type. The EWS quota seat matrix for government colleges is as follows:

Also Read: Minimum Marks Required in NEET 2026 for MBBS

EWS Quota in NEET 2026 – Participating Colleges

Here is a look at some of the popular colleges offering admission to students under the EWS quota in NEET 2026:

EWS Quota in NEET 2026 – Reservation in Government Colleges

The demand for government colleges after NEET is usually high. Applicants looking for a seat in these colleges can apply under the EWS quota provided the eligibility criteria are met. As per the seat matrix, government medical colleges have nearly 4,000 seats. The Government Medical colleges have 4000 seats as per the EWS quota 2026 Seat Matrix.
Also Read: List of Documents Required for NEET 2026 Application Form

EWS Quota in NEET 2026 Cutoff

The detailed information about the NEET 2026 Cutoff for the EWS Quota in the entrance exam will be notified by the official authority. In the meantime, all students interested in checking the same may refer to the previous year's Gen-EWS categories Cutoff Score and Cutoff Percentile from the table below:

Key Highlights of EWS Quota in NEET 2026 Application

• Students must keep their income certificates and other relevant documents secured and handy during the exam form fill-up process.

• The list of important certificates to be submitted at the time of the exam form fill-up can be secured as prescribed by the law of the state/UT once all the documents are verified.

• Once the above-mentioned certificates and documents are successfully verified, students will be eligible to select their category as ‘Gen-EWS’ during the online application form fill-up process. Moreover, they need not be required to submit these documents in addition to the application form while registering for the NEET UG 2026 Exam.

• It is important to note that all the necessary documents validating the student's reservation under the EWS category are to be produced during the NEET counselling process for admission. In case a student fails to produce any of these documents at the time, their eligibility for admission may be cancelled even under the General category quota.

• The following authorities issue the EWS reservation certificate for NEET for all eligible students: Extra Assistant Commissioner, Executive Magistrate/Taluka Magistrate, Chief Presidency Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, First Class Stipendiary Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Officer, Deputy Commissioner, Presidency Magistrate, Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate, District Magistrate, Collector, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Revenue Officer (not below the rank of Tehsildar).

So, the EWS certificate in the NEET 2026 exam is valid for one year and is a mandatory document in the NEET 2026 application process. The National Testing Agency (NTA) strictly follows the EWS Quota in NEET 2026 criteria during the application process and the NEET counselling. Therefore. Students must meet the eligibility criteria for applications. For any queries regarding the EWS Quota in NEET 2026, log on to our CollegeDekho Q&A Zone or contact our toll-free helpline number 18005729877.