Every year, lakhs of students appear for the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) to secure admission into MBBS, BDS, and other medical courses across India. However, very few are fully aware of the various admission quotas that determine how seats are allocated.
If you're a NEET aspirant or a parent looking to understand how admissions work, this blog is your ultimate guide to all available NEET admission quotas, their eligibility, and how they impact your college selection.
What Are NEET Admission Quotas?
NEET admission quotas are seat reservation categories under which students are admitted to medical colleges. These quotas are created to ensure fair representation and opportunities for different segments of society—such as students from different states, minority groups, NRIs, and others.
Admission through each quota follows specific eligibility criteria and counselling authorities. Some quotas are national-level, while others are state-level or institute-specific.
Types of NEET Admission Quotas:
| Name | Quota | Description |
| AIQ | All India Quota | 15% of seats in government medical colleges across India reserved for candidates from any state. |
| ESI | Employees State Insurance Scheme | Seats reserved for children of insured persons under the ESI scheme. |
| Deemed/Paid Seats Quota | Deemed University/Management Quota | Seats in deemed universities or private colleges filled through management quota, often with higher fees. |
| NRI | Non-Resident Indian | Seats reserved for candidates who are NRIs, PIOs, or OCIs. |
| Jamia Internal Quota | Jamia Millia Islamia Internal Quota | Seats reserved for internal students of Jamia Millia Islamia University. |
| Muslim OBC Quota | Muslim Other Backward Classes Quota | Seats reserved for Muslim candidates belonging to the OBC category. |
| Muslim Quota | Muslim Minority Quota | Seats reserved for candidates from the Muslim minority community. |
| Muslim ST Quota | Muslim Scheduled Tribe Quota | Seats reserved for Muslim candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. |
| Muslim Women Quota | Muslim Women Quota | Seats reserved for female candidates from the Muslim community. |
| State Quota (Open Seat Quota) | State Quota | 85% of seats in government medical colleges reserved for candidates domiciled in the respective state. |
| Jain Minority Quota | Jain Minority Quota | Seats reserved for candidates from the Jain minority community. |
| AMU Quota | Aligarh Muslim University Quota | Seats reserved for internal students of Aligarh Muslim University. |
| NRI (AMU) Quota | Non-Resident Indian (AMU) Quota | Seats reserved for NRI candidates at Aligarh Muslim University. |
| CW DU Quota | Children/Widows of Personnel of the Armed Forces (Delhi University) Quota | Seats reserved for children/widows of armed forces personnel in Delhi University. |
| Delhi University Quota | Delhi University Quota | Seats reserved for candidates under Delhi University norms. |
| CW IP Quota | Children/Widows of Personnel of the Armed Forces (IP University) Quota | Seats reserved for children/widows of armed forces personnel in IP University. |
| IP University Quota | Indraprastha University Quota | Seats reserved under IP University norms. |
| Foreign Country Quota | Foreign Country Quota | Seats reserved for foreign nationals. |
| Internal - Puducherry UT Domicile | Internal - Puducherry Union Territory Domicile | Seats reserved for candidates domiciled in Puducherry. |
| B.Sc Nursing All India | Bachelor of Science in Nursing All India Quota | Seats for B.Sc Nursing filled through All India Quota. |
| B.Sc Nursing Delhi NCR | Bachelor of Science in Nursing Delhi NCR Quota | Seats for B.Sc Nursing reserved for candidates from Delhi NCR. |
| B.Sc Nursing Delhi NCR CW Quota | Bachelor of Science in Nursing Delhi NCR Children/Widows Quota | Seats for B.Sc Nursing reserved for children/widows of armed forces personnel from Delhi NCR. |
| B.Sc Nursing IP CW Quota | Bachelor of Science in Nursing IP University Children/Widows Quota | Seats for B.Sc Nursing reserved for children/widows of armed forces personnel in IP University. |
| ESI-IP Quota Nursing | Employees State Insurance Scheme - Insured Person Quota Nursing | Seats in nursing reserved for children of insured persons under ESI. |
| DEF1, DEF2, DEF3 | Defence Category 1, 2, 3 | Seats reserved for defence personnel categories. |
| EWS | Economically Weaker Section | Seats reserved for candidates from economically weaker sections. |
| PWD | Persons with Disabilities | Seats reserved for candidates with disabilities. |
| SC | Scheduled Caste | Seats reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes. |
| ST | Scheduled Tribe | Seats reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Tribes. |
| OBC | Other Backward Classes | Seats reserved for candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes. |
| SEBC | Socially and Economically Backward Classes | Seats reserved for candidates from socially and economically backward classes. |
| NTB, NTC, NTD | Nomadic Tribes B, C, D | Seats reserved for candidates from Nomadic Tribes categories. |
| VJA | Vimukta Jati A | Seats reserved for candidates from Vimukta Jati A category. |
| MKB | Maharashtra-Karnataka Border | Seats reserved for candidates from Maharashtra-Karnataka border areas. |
| HOPEN, HOBC, HSC, HST, HSEBC, HNTB, HNTC, HNTD, HVJA | Home State Open, OBC, SC, ST, SEBC, NTB, NTC, NTD, VJA | State-specific reservations for various categories. |
| EMR | Economically and Socially Backward Region | Seats reserved for candidates from economically and socially backward regions. |
| ORPHAN | Orphan Quota | Seats reserved for orphan candidates. |
| I.Q. | Institutional Quota | Seats reserved under institutional quota. |
| OPEN | Open Category | Seats open to all candidates irrespective of category. |
| (W) | Women Quota | Seats reserved for female candidates. |
| PH | Physically Handicapped | Seats reserved for physically handicapped candidates. |
Conclusion
Admission into medical colleges via NEET is highly competitive, but understanding the different NEET admission quotas can give you a strategic advantage. Whether you're eligible under the All-India Quota, Minority Quota, NRI, or State Quota, knowing the process and preparing the right documents can help you get closer to your dream medical seat.
Important Links:
| NEET UG 2025: Provisional Answer Key Challenge | NEET UG 2025 Paper Analysis: Complete Subject-Wise Breakdown & Difficulty Level |
