The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to reopen the NEET-UG 2026 counselling portal for a British citizen holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, after he mistakenly selected the wrong category while registering for counselling.
The candidate had selected "Foreign National (Other than OCI)" instead of the category applicable to OCI candidates. The court has directed the MCC to permit him to update his credentials and participate in the counselling process.
The case concerns the distinction between foreign nationals and OCI cardholders in medical admissions. Although OCI cardholders are foreign citizens, the Centre has prescribed specific rules governing their eligibility for medical entrance examinations and admissions.
What happened in the case?
The candidate, a British citizen and OCI cardholder, participated in the NEET-UG 2026 process but made an incorrect category selection during counselling registration.
Instead of identifying himself as an OCI candidate, he selected the option for a foreign national other than an OCI cardholder. This resulted in his credentials being recorded under the wrong category.
He approached the Madurai Bench seeking relief so that the error could be corrected and his candidature considered under the appropriate category.
The High Court directed the MCC to reopen the counselling portal for him and allow the necessary correction.
Why the OCI category matters
The distinction between an OCI cardholder and a foreign national became particularly important after a March 4, 2021 notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs changed the treatment of OCI cardholders in educational admissions.
The Supreme Court examined the notification in Anushka Rengunthwar v Union of India in 2023 and held that the changes concerning OCI cardholders would operate prospectively, applying to those who obtained their OCI cards after March 4, 2021.
The issue has subsequently reached the Madras High Court in other medical-admission cases. In August 2024, the court directed AIIMS to treat an OCI cardholder who had obtained her OCI card after March 4, 2021 as a foreign national for admission purposes, in accordance with the Supreme Court's ruling.
The rules therefore distinguish between OCI cardholders depending on when their OCI status was obtained, as well as between OCI candidates and other foreign nationals.
NEET-UG 2026 counselling
The court's order comes as MCC counselling for NEET-UG 2026 is underway.
The Medical Counselling Committee conducts counselling for undergraduate medical and dental seats under the 15% All India Quota, as well as seats in several other categories of participating institutions.
The Round 1 counselling schedule has undergone changes this week. MCC has revised the schedule and reopened registration, with the updated timeline extending the process into August.
The counselling process involves registration, submission of college and course preferences, seat allotment and reporting to the allotted institution.
For the candidate in the Madras High Court case, the court's direction means that an inadvertent category-selection error will not by itself prevent him from having his credentials considered under the appropriate OCI category.
The order specifically concerns the candidate before the court and does not amount to a general change in the NEET-UG counselling rules.
