MARB/NMC Releases Tentative Super-Specialty Seat Matrix for Academic Year 2025–26
The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has published the tentative seat matrix for DM and MCh (super‑specialty) courses for the Academic Year (AY) 2025–26. The official MARB notice, issued on 12 March 2026 and reflecting seat positions as of 27 February 2026, reports a total of 4,630 super‑specialty seats across medical colleges and institutions under the NMC’s purview. Of these, 557 seats were newly approved for AY 2025–26, increasing the previous-year count of 4,073 to the present total.
This update is a primary reference for institutions, counselling authorities and prospective candidates. The NMC has emphasized verification, timely reporting of discrepancies and clarified counselling procedures while Letters of Permission (LOPs) for sanctioned PG seats are being issued.
What the MARB Notice Requires from Institutions
In its communication, MARB has asked all medical colleges and institutions to verify the number of seats shown against their respective establishments in the uploaded matrix. Institutions are required to report any discrepancy, supported by documentary evidence, to the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, NMC within 15 days from the date of the notice (12 March 2026). The notice explicitly warns that failure to report discrepancies within the stipulated period may impact the updation of student details on the NMC Admission Portal by the respective college or institution.
The NMC Secretary has further addressed Directors, Deans and Principals of all medical colleges and institutes, reiterating the instructions contained in MARB’s public notice and urging institutions to comply with verification and reporting timelines.
Counselling and LOP Guidance for Authorities
MARB has indicated that LOPs for the sanctioned PG seats for AY 2025–26 are in the process of being issued to institutions. Importantly for counselling authorities and candidates, the notice states that counselling bodies need not wait for the physical issuance of LOPs from individual institutions to include those seats in the counselling process. The uploaded seat matrix on the NMC portal shall be considered a valid document for the counselling process.
This procedural clarity aims to prevent delays in admission cycles while administrative formalities are completed, and it emphasizes the need for institutions to promptly notify MARB of any inconsistencies so candidate records and admission portal information remain accurate and reliable.
State-wise Distribution of DM and MCh Seats
The state-wise matrix attached to the MARB notice lists the number of super‑specialty seats available across states and union territories, accounting for seats existing during AY 2024–25 and those granted in AY 2025–26. The combined total across all regions is 4,630 seats. The distribution by state/UT is as follows:
– Andhra Pradesh: 232
– Assam: 68
– Bihar: 50
– Chandigarh: 7
– Chhattisgarh: 13
– Delhi: 213
– Goa: 19
– Gujarat: 159
– Haryana: 39
– Jammu & Kashmir: 70
– Jharkhand: 11
– Karnataka: 561
– Kerala: 266
– Madhya Pradesh: 132
– Maharashtra: 446
– Manipur: 7
– Meghalaya: 4
– Odisha: 190
– Puducherry: 6
– Punjab: 71
– Rajasthan: 380
– Tamil Nadu: 743
– Telangana: 274
– Uttar Pradesh: 398
– Uttarakhand: 50
– West Bengal: 221
This state-level breakdown reflects regional capacity for super‑specialty training. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh rank among the states with the largest number of super‑specialty seats, while several smaller states and union territories have limited allocations.
Specialty-wise Breakdown: Key Figures and High-Volume Courses
The MARB-uploaded specialty matrix enumerates seat counts across a wide range of DM and MCh disciplines, with the complete listing comprising multiple entries and totaling 4,630 seats. Highlights from the specialty-wise distribution include:
– DM — Cardiology: 574 seats
– M.Ch — Urology/Genito-Urinary Surgery: 419 seats
– M.Ch — Neurosurgery (aggregate of listed entries): 418 seats
– DM — Neurology: 376 seats
– M.Ch — Plastic Surgery / Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: 330 seats
– DM — Nephrology: 282 seats
– DM — Medical Gastroenterology: 248 seats
– M.Ch — Paediatric Surgery: 224 seats
– M.Ch — Thoracic/Cardio‑Thoracic/Cardio‑Vascular & Thoracic Surgery: 222 seats
– M.Ch — Surgical Oncology: 220 seats
– DM — Critical Care Medicine: 137 seats
– DM — Neonatology: 114 seats
– DM — Endocrinology: 100 seats
– DM — Medical Oncology: 178 seats
The complete matrix lists multiple other sub‑specialties ranging from clinical hematology, infectious disease, interventional radiology, pediatric subspecialties, to surgical gastroenterology and vascular surgery, among others. According to MARB’s compilation, the specialty-level entries together account for the full complement of 4,630 DM/MCh seats for AY 2025–26.
Implications for Candidates and Institutions
For prospective super‑specialty candidates, the published matrix provides an authoritative basis for planning application and counselling strategies for AY 2025–26. Candidates should follow the counselling authority schedules and rely on the uploaded matrix as the operative seat list for the process, noting that institutions’ LOPs are in issuance but not mandatory prerequisites for inclusion.
For institutions, the key action is timely verification and, if needed, submission of documentary evidence to MARB regarding any discrepancies in the published seat counts within the 15‑day window. Prompt compliance will help ensure accurate admission portal records and avoid administrative complications during student onboarding.
Availability of the Official Notice
The MARB public notice and the attached tentatively sanctioned seat matrix have been made available through the NMC’s published channels. For the official notice and the detailed matrices, refer to medichelpline, which carries the MARB/NMC documentation as referenced in the communication.