Assam relaxes medical admission norms, expands state quota eligibility

The Assam government has relaxed its medical admission norms, opening the door for more local students to apply under the state quota, as reported by The Telegraph.

In a major policy shift approved by the state cabinet on Monday, permanent residents of Assam who completed their schooling outside the state will now be eligible to seek admission to MBBS and BDS courses under the state quota, as long as their families can prove three generations of residency in Assam. The respective district commissioners will certify this residency status.

The decision comes through amendments to the Medical Colleges and Dental Colleges of Assam (Regulation of Admission into 1st Year MBBS/BDS Courses) Rules, 2017 (as amended up to 2025). The cabinet also scrapped a controversial clause that required students to complete Classes VII to XII within Assam, a condition that had, according to officials, “deprived” genuine residents studying elsewhere from availing of the quota.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured that the move would not impact existing aspirants. 

“This decision will not adversely affect anyone because there are around 1,800 medical seats in the state,” he said after the cabinet meeting.

Moran community to benefit from 2026

In another significant inclusion, the state government has decided to extend medical admission benefits to members of the Moran community residing in Arunachal Pradesh. Starting with the 2026 academic session, they will be eligible for MBBS and BDS admissions in Assam under the state quota.

“They will be treated as Assamese for medical admission,” Sarma stated.

Earlier this year, in March, the Assam cabinet had resolved to issue Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) to members of the Moran community in Arunachal Pradesh, a state that currently does not provide PRCs to them. The community, estimated to have around 30,000 members, primarily lives in the Namsai and Changlang districts of Arunachal.

Within Assam, the Moran population is concentrated in the Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sivasagar. The community has been pressing for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, with protests intensifying in recent months.

The cabinet also approved Rs 4,257 crore to modernise the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and to enhance infrastructure and research capabilities at Srimanta Sankardev University of Health Sciences, added The Telegraph.