BDS Counselling and Admission Procedures
Counseling procedures for BDS admission:
- Online registration for counseling: Candidates who have qualified for the NEET-UG entrance exam must first register themselves online for counseling. This involves filling in personal and educational details, and paying the required counseling fee.
- Document verification: After registration, candidates must visit the designated verification centers to get their documents verified. This includes submitting original documents, as well as photocopies that have been attested by a gazetted officer.
- The first round of counseling: Based on their NEET-UG scores and document verification, candidates will be called for the first round of counseling. During this round, they can choose the college and course they want to join, based on the availability of seats.
- Choice filling: Candidates can choose and prioritize their preferred colleges and courses during the choice filling process.
- Choice locking: After filling in their preferred choices, candidates must lock their choices before the deadline. This ensures that their choices are final and cannot be changed later.
- First counseling results: Based on the choices made by candidates and the availability of seats, the results of the first counseling round will be declared. Candidates who have been allotted a seat in a college must report to the college within the given deadline to confirm their admission.
- The Second round of counseling: If there are still seats available after the first round of counseling, a second round of counseling will be conducted. This is similar to the first round, with candidates choosing and prioritizing their preferred colleges and courses.
- Second counseling results: Based on the choices made by candidates and the availability of seats, the results of the second counseling round will be declared. Candidates who have been allotted a seat in a college must report to the college within the given deadline to confirm their admission.
- MOP-UP Round: If there are still seats available after the second round of counseling, a MOP-UP round will be conducted. This is the final round of counseling and is conducted by the respective state authorities. Candidates who have not been allotted a seat in the previous rounds can participate in this round to secure a seat in a college.
These are the major steps involved in the counseling and admission procedures for BDS courses in India.
Online Registration Process for Counseling
Candidates who wish to participate in the counseling procedures for BDS admission must register online by providing their basic information and NEET admit card details.
It's important to note that registrations may be separate for the All India Quota (AIQ) and state quota, and candidates who wish to apply to colleges in multiple states may need to register for counseling in each state separately. This ensures that candidates are considered for seats in both AIQ and state quota, based on their eligibility and preferences.
One example is the online counseling for dental colleges in Punjab, which will be managed by the Punjab Examination Authority. A helpful tip based on my personal experience is to select a specific state where you wish to join and then follow the counseling procedures for that state. Trying to participate in counseling for multiple states may result in conflicting dates and potential loss of an entire year.
The counseling authority will inform candidates of the document verification date. It is mandatory for the candidate to attend the counseling center during the specified period with all original documents. In case of an online verification mode, the candidate should follow the steps mentioned on the website.
In some states, candidates may be required to submit a demand draft of Rs.1 lakh as a security deposit along with the registration amount, which will be adjusted or refunded against the tuition fees. The list of documents required for BDS admission, as mentioned earlier, should be kept in mind.
- To begin the first round of counseling, you will receive login credentials during the registration process. Once you have received these credentials, log in to your dashboard. Here, you can select the college of your choice and lock in your selection.
- During the choice filling and locking phase, you should select the college(s) of your choice in the order of preference. You may select as many colleges as you wish but be sure to consider the fee structure of each college according to your affordability before finalizing your choices. Once you have made your selections, be sure to lock in your choices.
- It is important to note that the choices you lock in during this round cannot be changed again.
- After the 1st round of counseling, if you have been allotted a college of your choice, you have the option to accept the offer and join the college.
- Alternatively, you may choose to attend the 2nd round of counseling.
The 2nd counseling round is similar to the first round. Log in to your dashboard, select the college(s) of your choice, and lock in your selection(s). If you have been allotted a seat in this round, you can either join the college or attend the MOP-UP round. - The MOP-UP round is the final round of counseling. Any vacant seats remaining after the 2nd round of counseling will be transferred to the offline MOP-UP round. Here are some important points to note about the MOP-UP round:
- MOP-UP round will be conducted offline.
- The candidate must be present at the counseling center with all the required documents.
- The candidate must carry a demand draft favoring the state authority.
- The MOP-UP round results will be declared on the same day.
- After the MOP-UP round, any remaining vacant seats will be given to the college management.
- The college management can provide seats to students who have registered and attended the counseling procedures only.
BDS counseling and admission procedures are the cornerstone of shaping the future of dentistry. They represent the careful selection of dedicated individuals who will go on to make significant contributions to the field, enhancing oral health and smiles in the communities they serve.