Medical education updates: NEET-UG counselling and NMC faculty mandates

In Telangana, the first phase of NEET-UG MBBS counselling for the 2026-27 academic year has seen Gandhi Medical College (GMC) in Secunderabad emerge as the top choice for high-ranking candidates. According to the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), the state topper and the second-ranked candidate both selected GMC. Established government institutions, including ESIC Medical College and Kakatiya Medical College, also recorded high cut-offs, while newer district colleges saw much lower rank requirements.

Separately, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a mandate requiring all medical colleges to update the National Medical Register (NMR) or State Medical Register (SMR) numbers for faculty on the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System. The NMC warned that failure to comply will result in the automatic rejection of daily attendance for teaching staff. This measure is intended to prevent the use of “ghost faculty” to secure seat approvals and to ensure quality standards through digitally verified assessments of teaching staff.