TN MBBS Rank List Released as Open Category Cut Offs Expected to Rise by 40 Marks

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Health Minister K G Arunraj on Monday released the state rank list for MBBS and BDS admissions for 2026, with cut-off marks for open category seats in government colleges expected to increase by up to 40 marks. Counselling for medical and dental admissions across the state is scheduled to begin on August 13, alongside offline counselling for special category candidates.

The expected increase in cut-offs follows a surge in top scorers in NEET 2026 compared to the previous year. Venkapathi Velayutham V A from Villupuram topped the overall rank list with a score of 705 out of 720 marks, followed by Srinika V from Pudukkottai with 700 marks. In 2025, the top score was 665 marks. More than 6,000 students scored above 500 marks this year, compared to fewer than 4,000 in 2025.

Analysis shows open category cut-off scores in government-run medical colleges are projected to hover above 570 marks, up from 533 in 2025. Cut-offs for the BC category are expected to reach around 535 marks, while BCM and MBC cut-offs are estimated at 523 and 525 marks, respectively. Cut-offs for SC/SCA and ST categories are projected at 465, 435, and 430 marks.

Tamil Nadu has a total of 9,999 MBBS seats this year. After surrendering seats under the All India Quota, the state seat matrix will open with 7,157 MBBS seats, including 4,473 state-quota seats in government medical colleges and 2,684 government-quota seats in self-financing institutions. While 850 new MBBS seats were added across existing and private medical colleges, four institutions with 800 seats were removed from the state selection list after receiving deemed university status.

In the 7.5 percent reservation quota for government school students, scores also saw an increase. Dhinesh M from Nagapattinam topped the category with 599 marks, while Dharanish B S from Salem and Rajesh R from Pudukkottai tied for the second spot with 595 marks. For BDS admissions, the state has 1,383 seats available, comprising 213 in government dental colleges and 1,170 government-quota seats in self-financing dental colleges.

Minister Arunraj stated that the selection committee has identified at least five fraudulent applications involving fake nativity certificates and tampered mark sheets. Documents for more than 500 NRI candidates have also been sent to respective consulates for verification.