Chennai, India – The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education and Research has announced a second special stray vacancy round for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) admissions. This round aims to fill four remaining BDS seats across self-financing dental colleges in the state. Candidates with a NEET UG score as low as 113 are eligible to apply. The online registration and choice filling process commenced on January 2 and will conclude on January 5, 2025, at 12 noon .
A significant requirement for participation is a Rs 2 lakh security deposit . This amount is mandated for all applicants and will be forfeited if a candidate fails to join their allotted seat. All counselling procedures, including registration and seat allotment, are managed via the official website, tnmedicalselection.net .
Eligibility for Participation
This special stray vacancy round is open only to specific candidates. Those who have already secured any MBBS or BDS seats, whether under the All India Quota (AIQ) or the state quota, are not eligible to participate. Applicants must possess a valid NEET UG score.
- For government quota seats, candidates with NEET ranks from 1 up to 39,853 are considered eligible.
- For management quota seats, eligibility extends to candidates with NEET ranks up to 28,279 .
NEET Cut-off Scores
The minimum qualifying NEET UG score for BDS admission in this round is set at 113 marks. This low cut-off opens opportunities for a broader range of applicants. Specific score ranges for both quotas apply:
- Government quota applicants: NEET UG scores between 665 and 113 are eligible.
- Management quota applicants: NEET UG scores between 641 and 113 are eligible.
Mandatory Security Deposit
An additional security deposit of Rs 2 lakh is required from all candidates applying for a BDS seat in this final round. This measure aims to ensure that only serious candidates participate and accept their allotted seats.
- The deposit is strictly non-refundable if a candidate, after being allotted a seat, fails to report and join the respective college by the deadline.
- Exemptions apply: Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Caste Arunthathiyar (SCA), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories are exempted from paying this security deposit. This exemption is valid if their annual family income is below Rs 2.5 lakh .
- Similarly, converts to Christianity from Scheduled Caste communities are also exempt, provided their family income adheres to the stipulated limit.
Registration Fees for New Entries
Candidates who have not previously registered for BDS counselling but are listed in the state merit list are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee. This fee is separate from the security deposit.
- For government quota applications, the registration fee is Rs 500 .
- For management quota applications, the registration fee is Rs 1,000 .
Vacant BDS Seats
The four vacant BDS seats are available in self-financing dental colleges across Tamil Nadu. These institutions are:
- Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital, Melmaruvathur
- Sree Mookambika Institute of Dental Sciences, Kanyakumari
- Priyadharshini Dental College and Hospital, Thiruvallur
- Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai
Important Counselling Timeline
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research has released a concise and critical schedule for this special stray vacancy round. Applicants must strictly adhere to these dates to ensure their participation.
| Activity | Dates |
|---|---|
| Online Registration and Choice Filling | January 2 to January 5 (until 12 noon) |
| Processing of Seat Allotment | January 5, 2025 |
| Declaration of Result | January 5, 2025 |
| Downloading Provisional Allotment Order | January 6 to January 10 (until 3 pm) |
| Last Date for Reporting to Allotted College | January 10, 2025 (until 5 pm) |
Official Information and Updates
All official notifications, detailed guidelines, and application links are published exclusively on the Directorate’s website: tnmedicalselection.net . Candidates are advised to visit this website regularly for the latest information and to complete their application process.