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NEET PG 2025
1,162
1,162 OPN seats open to all-India candidates in all rounds — no domicile required
Karnataka's OPN quota is unique in Indian PG counselling. These 1,162 seats are accessible by any candidate nationwide from Round 1. Unlike Rajasthan (non-domicile only R3) or UP (domicile locked), Karnataka opens its private OPN seats immediately. — Formity's analysis of KEA 2025 PG allotment PDFs.
G+P
Deemed universities have dual-route: G seats at ~₹1.5L/yr AND P seats at ₹15-20L/yr
MAHE Manipal, BGSMCRI, KLE Belgaum — all have KEA G seats (Karnataka domicile, govt fees) alongside P/OPN seats (higher fees, open to all). One campus, two completely different financial realities. Domicile + rank determines which route is available to you.
4yr
KA govt PG bond: 4-year rural service or ₹25L penalty — longest commitment in South India
Karnataka's government PG bond is 4 years — the longest in South India. Private college seats (P/OPN) carry no such bond. Formity's review of KEA bond circulars 2024: enforcement is real and documented.
Stray
R3 stray vacancy round fills unfilled premium specialities — watching each round matters
Karnataka's R3 stray round has consistently surfaced Surgery and Medicine seats at top govt colleges that went unfilled in R1/R2. For candidates who didn't get their target in R1/R2, staying patient through R3 has produced outcomes. — Formity's KEA 2025 round analysis.
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Karnataka NEET PG 2025
State Counselling Guide

65 colleges · 34 specialities · R1 to Stray · Complete KEA data

4,707 govt seats
3,565 private seats
1,162 OPN (open to all India)
120 NRI seats
Seat Classification
Section 1

Seat Classification

Karnataka PG has 4 seat types. Know what you're eligible for before you start.

G
Government
50% of govt college seats + 33% of private non-minority + 20% of private minority + 40% of private university.
Eligibility: (a) MBBS passed from a Karnataka institution, OR (b) 10 yrs schooling in Karnataka + SSLC/PUC from Karnataka + MBBS from Karnataka. Non-domicile who did MBBS from Karnataka = eligible.
P
Private
Split into GMP (50% — Karnataka domicile only) and OPN (50% — open to ALL India citizens). OPN is the real deal for non-domicile.
Eligibility: GMP = Karnataka domicile. OPN = any citizen of India.
N
NRI
15% of total seats in KPCF, KRLMPCA, AMPCK colleges + private universities.
Eligibility: NRI / NRI Ward / PIO / OCI with MBBS from MCI-recognized institution.
Q
Other / Management
10% of KPCF, KRLMPCA, AMPCK + 5% in private university seats. College-level selection.
Eligibility: Varies by college. Usually open to all with valid NEET PG score.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

The Deemed University Hack
Section 2

The Deemed University Hack

5 deemed universities offer G seats at government fees through KEA — not MCC. This is one of the best-kept opportunities in NEET PG.

MD General Medicine at Manipal: govt fee via KEA
Through MCC deemed counselling, you'd pay ₹20–50L per year. Through KEA state counselling, the same seat costs ₹1.23L per year as a G seat. Same college, same degree, 20x difference in fees.
₹1,23,400/yr via KEA vs ₹20–50L/yr via MCC deemed
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
MD Gen Med (G seat, GM): R1 = 684 · R2 = 2376
JSS Medical College, Mysore
MD Gen Med (G seat, GM): R1 = 823 · R2 = 2839
KS Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore
MD Gen Med (G seat, GM): R1 = 368 · R2 = 1960

Eligibility for these G seats: You must have passed MBBS from a Karnataka institution (a-clause), OR be a Karnataka domicile with 10 yrs schooling + MBBS from Karnataka (b-clause). Non-domicile candidates who completed MBBS from Karnataka ARE eligible.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

OPN — Non-Domicile Access
Section 3

OPN — Non-Domicile Access

50% of private quota seats are OPN — open to any citizen of India. No domicile required. This is how non-Karnataka candidates get into Karnataka PG.

⚠ Non-domicile = no category reservation in Karnataka
If you are OBC/SC/ST from another state, your category gives you zero advantage in Karnataka state counselling. OPN seats are filled purely on NEET PG All India Rank — general merit. No reservation applies.
What this means:
  • Karnataka reservation (2A, 3B, SC, ST, etc.) applies only to G seats — which require Karnataka domicile + MBBS from Karnataka.
  • OPN is filled on pure AIR merit — an OBC candidate from UP competes at the same rank as a General candidate.
  • Even GMP (Karnataka domicile private) has no sub-category reservation — it's general merit among domicile candidates.
  • Your category reservation works in MCC AIQ counselling and in your home state — not in Karnataka OPN.
Verified from KEA 2025 data: across 1,162 OPN allotments and 1,111 GMP allotments, zero reservation sub-categories appear. All 40 Karnataka reservation categories (2AG, 3BG, STG, etc.) appear exclusively in G seats.
College OPN R1 OPN R2

Ranks shown are All India NEET PG ranks. OPN seats are open to all Indian citizens regardless of domicile.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Fee Structure
Section 4

Fee Structure

KEA-fixed fees for G and P (GMP/OPN) seats. Management and NRI fees vary by college.

Group Govt Fee (G) Private Fee (P) Mgmt / Other (Q) NRI (N)
Pre-clinical (Anatomy, Physio, Biochem) ₹40,900 ₹1,87,668 Varies by college Same as Q
Para-clinical (Patho, Micro, Pharma) ₹68,400 ₹3,58,253 Varies by college Same as Q
Clinical (Med, Surg, Radio, Derm) ₹1,23,400 ₹13,87,994 ₹30L – 1.3Cr Same as Q

Private colleges have KEA-fixed government quota fees. Management/NRI fees are set by individual colleges and vary by speciality. Clinical fees shown are per year for 3-year MD/MS courses.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Seat Cancellation Penalty
Section 5

Seat Cancellation Penalty

Exact penalty amounts from KEA. Know the cost before you hold a seat.

When Clinical Diploma Pre/Para-Clinical
After R1 allotment ₹25,000 — ₹10,000
Before R2 joining deadline ₹1,50,000 ₹50,000 ₹10,000
After joining R2, before R3 ₹7,00,000 ₹3,00,000 ₹10,000
After R3 / Mop-up ₹18,00,000 + forfeiture ₹6,00,000 + forfeiture ₹75,000 + forfeiture
After Stray round Full forfeiture + 3-year debarment Same Same

Forfeiture = entire deposit + fee paid. 3-year debarment = cannot participate in KEA PG counselling for 3 years.

⚠ R1 is not a free exit
If allotted in R1 and you do not join, the seats at or below your allotment rank will not be available to you in subsequent rounds. You can only access seats at a better rank than your R1 allotment. This is the KEA rule — not a market outcome.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Bond & Service
Section 6

Bond & Service

Compulsory service obligations for all Karnataka PG graduates.

1 year
Compulsory Rural Service
Applies to ALL categories, ALL seat types (G, P, N, Q). Every PG graduate from a Karnataka institution must serve 1 year in a designated rural area.
3 years
Government Service Bond
For government seat holders — including AIQ returnees and private college G quota seats. Bond applies even to private college govt quota (G) seats. This is separate from the 1-year rural service.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

DNB in Karnataka
Section 7

DNB in Karnataka

A common source of confusion. Here's the reality.

State Quota DNB = In-Service Only
Karnataka state quota DNB seats are exclusively for IN-SERVICE candidates already working in Karnataka government hospitals. Fresh NEET PG candidates cannot apply for state quota DNB through KEA.
AIQ DNB = Via MCC
All India Quota DNB seats are filled through MCC counselling, not KEA. These are available to all eligible NEET PG candidates regardless of domicile. Separate counselling process.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Round-wise Closing Ranks
Section 8

Round-wise Closing Ranks

BMCRI Bangalore (M01) — Government seats, GM category. The benchmark college.

Speciality R1 R2 R3
M.D. General Medicine 74 350 --
M.D. Dermatology 29 546 --
M.D. Radio Diagnosis 134 462 462
M.S. General Surgery 1218 5387 --
M.D. Paediatrics 1657 4461 4461
M.D. Anaesthesia 4790 14255 14914
M.S. Obstetrics and Gynecology 1142 2368 1986
M.S. Orthopedics 1860 7209 --
M.D. Respiratory Medicine 6175 12401 12935
M.S. Opthalamology 5192 16627 15740
M.S. ENT 6238 10147 --

GM = General Merit. These are All India NEET PG ranks. R3 data available only where seats remained unfilled after R2.

OPN Closing Ranks — MD General Medicine at Private Colleges

These seats are open to all India candidates. No domicile needed.

College OPN R1 OPN R2
St.Johns Medical College, Bangalore 763 4470
A J Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Mangalore 4389 10893
Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore 4673 7574
JJM Medical College, Davangere 4955 8791
Dr BR Ambedkar Medical College, Bangalore 5629 17999
Vydehi Institute Of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore 5703 8832
MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, Bangalore 5775 16414
BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore 6524 16507

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Complete Eligibility Clauses
Section 9

Complete Eligibility Clauses

Every clause from the KEA brochure, mapped to seat types. Know exactly what you qualify for.

Clause Who G GMP OPN NRI Q
a Citizen of India + MBBS/BDS from a Karnataka institution ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
b 10 years schooling in KA (1st–12th) + SSLC/PUC from KA + MBBS from KA ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
c 10 years schooling in KA + SSLC/PUC from KA + MBBS from outside KA ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
d Child of All India Service Karnataka cadre (study period outside KA counted as KA) ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
e Child of Union/KA State Govt transferable employee with KA hometown ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
f Child of MP elected from Karnataka (during study period) ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
g Child of defense personnel / ex-servicemen with Karnataka hometown ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
y Citizen of India + MBBS from any recognized institution (non-KA) — — ✓ — —
z OCI / PIO / NRI / Foreign National + MBBS from recognized institution — — — ✓ ✓
⚠ y-clause (OPN) = no category reservation
An OBC from UP with AIR 50,000 competes at the same rank as General merit. Your reservation only works in MCC AIQ and in your home state. Karnataka OPN is pure All India Rank merit — no sub-categories, no reservation.

Category Reservation Certificates

SC / ST — Form-D
Caste & Income certificate from Tahasildar. Must be in candidate's own name. For married women: husband's name + income of spouse (per G.O DPAR 20 SBC 82, dtd 28/12/1983).
Category-1 — Form-E
Issued by Tahasildar. Candidate's own name. Same married-women rule applies.
2A / 2B / 3A / 3B — Form-F
OBC category certificate from Tahasildar. Candidate's own name. Income limit as per current government order.

Religious Minority

Christian & Muslim minorities of clause-b or clause-c qualify as "Karnataka Religious Minority."

Priority order for minority seats:
  1. Karnataka Religious Minority (clause-b/c Christians & Muslims)
  2. Other Karnataka candidates (clause-a through g)
  3. Non-Karnataka Religious Minority (y-clause Christians & Muslims)

Linguistic Minority

Only Tamil, Telugu, Kodava, and Tulu languages qualify for linguistic minority status in Karnataka.
Requirements: Karnataka domicile + 10 years of study in KA + SSLC/PUC from KA. Mother tongue must be certified.

Hyderabad-Karnataka (Article 371J)

Separate HK reservation applies for candidates from Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Bellary, and Yadgir districts.
Requires Annexure-8 certificate issued by the Assistant Commissioner of the respective district. Without this certificate, HK reservation cannot be claimed even if you are from these districts.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Documents & Annexures
Section 10

Documents & Annexures

Complete document checklist from the KEA brochure. Missing one document = verification rejection.

Mandatory Documents (ALL Candidates)

# Document Notes
1 KEA 'PGET-2025' Registration form (printout) From KEA portal after registration
2 Photo ID (PAN / DL / Voter ID / Passport / Aadhaar) Any one valid government-issued ID
3 NEET-PG 2025 Admit Card & Score Card Both required
4 SSLC / 10th Marks Card For date of birth verification
5 2nd PUC / 12th Marks Card —
6 MBBS / BDS Marks Cards (all phases / years) Every single phase — not just final year
7 Qualifying Degree Certificate MBBS/BDS degree from university
8 Internship Completion Certificate (Annexure 5) or Provisional (Annexure 6, R1 only) Annexure 6 accepted only in R1; must submit Annexure 5 by R2
9 College Head Certificate (MBBS from MCI/NMC recognized) Confirming recognition status of your MBBS college
10 State / Central Medical Council Registration Permanent preferred; provisional accepted for 2025 passouts
11 Eligibility Certificate (Other University) Only if MBBS from non-RGUHS university
12 Migration Certificate Only if MBBS from non-RGUHS university
13 Compulsory Rural Service Bond on ₹100 stamp paper (Annexure 1) 1-year rural service — ALL candidates
14 Three Years Service Bond on ₹200 stamp paper (Annexure 2) For government seats only (G quota)
15 Affidavit on ₹100 bond paper (Annexure 7) Declaration: not holding any other PG seat

Additional Documents by Clause

Clause Additional Documents Required
a Qualifying degree from a Karnataka institution (already in mandatory list)
b Study certificate for 10 years (Annexure 11) counter-signed by BEO/DDPI + SSLC & PUC from Karnataka
c Same as clause-b (Annexure 11 + SSLC/PUC from KA) + MBBS degree from outside Karnataka
d DPAR certificate confirming parent is All India Service, Karnataka cadre
e Home town declaration from employer + 10-year study certificate (Annexure 11)
f MP certificate from Parliament Secretariat (Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha)
g AG Branch / Ministry of Defence certificate OR Sainik Welfare Department certificate (KA hometown)

NRI Ward Certificate (Annexure 17)

1. Ward Certificate with Guardian declaration
2. Family Tree signed by TAHASILDAR (NOT Notary — Notary / Affidavit of Relationship is NOT accepted)
3. Embassy certificate of Sponsorer from Indian Consulate — issued within last 6 months (Embassy cert signed by Notary = NOT accepted)
4. Bank Passbook, Passport, VISA / Resident VISA of Sponsorer (photocopies)
Common rejection reasons: Family tree from Notary instead of Tahasildar. Embassy certificate older than 6 months. Embassy certificate authenticated by Notary instead of Indian Consulate directly.

Annexure 18 — MCC Cross-Counselling Rule

Candidates who joined up to R2 of AIQ or State Quota are NOT eligible for further rounds of either AIQ or State Quota (from 2023–24 onwards).
This means: if you accept and join a seat in MCC AIQ R1 or R2, you cannot participate in Karnataka state counselling R3 or later rounds. And vice versa. Plan your MCC vs state strategy before R1 itself.

Bond Penalties (Annexure 2)

₹50 Lakhs
PG Degree — Service Bond Penalty
If you break the 3-year government service bond after completing your PG Degree (MD/MS), the penalty is ₹50 Lakhs. This is in addition to refunding any stipend received.
₹25 Lakhs
PG Diploma — Service Bond Penalty
Diploma holders who break the 3-year service bond pay ₹25 Lakhs penalty. Same conditions as degree — stipend refund is additional.

Bond penalty amounts are from Annexure 2 of the KEA PGET-2025 brochure. The 3-year service bond applies only to G (government quota) seat holders. The 1-year rural service bond (Annexure 1) is separate and applies to ALL seat types.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

Stray Round
Section 11

Stray Round

The final round. Completely separate population from R1/R2/R3.

115
Candidates in 2025
19K–86K
AIR Range
0%
Overlap with R1/R2/R3

Stray round candidates are a completely new population — verified 0% overlap with R1/R2/R3 participants. These are doctors who either missed earlier rounds or chose to enter late. Higher rank numbers (lower merit) compared to regular rounds. Cancellation after stray = full forfeiture + 3-year debarment from KEA PG counselling.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

What actually happened in Karnataka PG 2025
Every Rank is a Story

What actually happened in Karnataka PG 2025

9,470 allotments. 1,454 upgrades. 972 speciality switches. 575 candidates saved over ₹5L per year. These aren't projections — this is what doctors actually did.

1,454 UPGRADED BETWEEN ROUNDS
AIR 350 GM → GM
R1: MD General Medicine at ESIC Bangalore (₹2.63L/yr) → R2: MD General Medicine at BMCRI Bangalore (₹1.23L/yr)
Held through R1 at ESIC. When BMCRI seats opened in R2 (from students who took MCC AIQ), moved to the top government college in Karnataka. Saved ₹1.4L/yr and got a better college.
AIR 983 Private → Govt
R1: MD General Medicine at St. John's (Private, GMP) (₹12.4L/yr) → R2: MD General Medicine at MMC Mysore (Govt) (₹1.23L/yr)
Took the safe option at St. John's in R1. When government seats opened in R2, moved from ₹12.4L private to ₹1.23L government. Saved ₹11.17L per year — ₹33.5L over 3 years of PG.
AIR 546 Mandya → BMCRI
R1: MD Dermatology at Mandya IMS → R2: MD Dermatology at BMCRI Bangalore
Same speciality, better college. Derm at BMCRI is AIR 29 in R1 — this candidate at 546 got it in R2 when seats vacated. Patience paid off.
972 SWITCHED SPECIALITY BETWEEN ROUNDS
AIR 462
R1: BMCRI Dermatology
R2: BMCRI Radio Diagnosis
Had Derm at the best college. Chose to switch to Radiology. Same college, different career trajectory. A deliberate choice — not a downgrade.
AIR 504
R1: BMCRI General Surgery
R2: MMC Mysore Radio Diagnosis
Moved from surgery to radiology AND changed college. Knife to screen. Different lifestyle, different earning potential.
AIR 1040
R1: SDS Respiratory Medicine
R2: Mandya Dermatology
Respiratory to Derm — jumped to a high-demand speciality when Mandya Derm opened in R2. Rank 1040 wouldn't have gotten Derm anywhere in R1.
AIR 2494
R1: BMCRI Anaesthesia (₹1.23L)
R2: Ramaiah General Medicine (₹8.08L)
Gave up govt-fee Anaesthesia at BMCRI for Medicine at Ramaiah. Paid 6.5x more per year because speciality mattered more than fees. That's a ₹20L decision made with conviction.
575 CANDIDATES SAVED OVER ₹5L PER YEAR BY HOLDING
AIR 25,363 Saved ₹67.3L/yr
R1: MS Surgery at Basaveswara MC — ₹75.15L management seat
R3: MS Surgery at S. Nijalingappa MC — ₹7.83L govt quota seat
Held a ₹75L management seat through two rounds. When govt quota opened in R3, moved. Saved ₹67L per year — ₹2 crore over the full PG course. The penalty for cancellation was ₹7L. Worth it.
AIR 87,911 Saved ₹80.1L/yr
R1: MD Gen Med at Vydehi — ₹90.15L management
R2: MD Gen Med at Ramaiah — ₹10.04L management
Same speciality. Different management fee. Vydehi to Ramaiah — ₹80L/yr saved by waiting one round.
THE DEEMED HACK — WHO ACTUALLY GOT IT
AIR 368
MD Gen Med at KS Hegde Mangalore
G seat: ₹7.76L/yr
Same seat via MCC: ₹25-40L/yr
AIR 4,851
MD Gen Med at JSS Mysore
G seat (2A category): ₹7.83L/yr
Reservation at a deemed university — only via KEA
AIR 14,460
MD Radio Diagnosis at JSS Mysore
G seat (ST category): ₹7.83L/yr
ST reservation at a deemed — AIR 14K got Radiology. Impossible via MCC.

Key insight: Karnataka domicile students get reservation-based access to deemed universities through KEA. Via MCC, deemed universities have NO category reservation — all seats are open merit. This is a structural advantage unique to Karnataka.

STRAY ROUND — 115 DOCTORS WHO ENTERED LATE
78 of 115 stray candidates took management (MNG) seats — paying ₹60L-₹1Cr for clinical specialities. These are doctors who missed R1/R2/R3 entirely or chose to enter fresh.
Lowest rank Derm in Karnataka
AIR 2,22,247
MD Derm at Basaveswara MC · MNG · ₹12.5L
Highest rank in Stray (best merit)
AIR 19,337
MD Paediatrics at ESIC Bangalore · GM · ₹2.63L govt fee
⚠ Cancellation after stray = full forfeiture + 3-year debarment from KEA PG counselling.
Every round changes the game.
1,454 doctors upgraded. 972 switched specialities. 575 saved over ₹5L per year. The ones who made the right call had data — not just instinct. That's what Formity builds for you.

Formity's analysis · KEA PG 2025 · formity.ai

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