Srinagar, Aug 12: In a significant move aimed at supporting families affected by terrorism, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday announced the allocation of four MBBS seats from the Central Pool for the academic session 2025–26. These seats are reserved exclusively for the spouses and children of civilian victims of terrorism.
According to the official communication issued by the MHA, the seats have been distributed among three medical institutions across the country. One seat each has been allotted to A.N. Magadh Medical College in Gaya, Bihar, and Grant Medical College in Mumbai, Maharashtra, while two seats have been reserved at Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The move is part of a targeted welfare scheme aimed at providing educational opportunities to those who have suffered the most severe consequences of terrorism. The selection of candidates will be based on specific eligibility criteria, including having qualified NEET (UG)–2025 and meeting prescribed academic and age requirements. As per the MHA notification, candidates must be Indian nationals and at least 17 years old by December 31, 2025. They must have passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology, and English in the qualifying examination and secured the minimum required marks and NEET percentile as per their category.
The selection process will follow a strict order of priority, beginning with children whose both parents were killed in terrorist attacks, followed by children from families where the sole breadwinner lost their life, and finally, wards of those who were permanently disabled or seriously injured in such incidents. The benefit will be limited to one ward per victim family, and no second applicant from the same household will be considered if the benefit has already been availed.
While the scheme is not exclusive to Jammu and Kashmir, officials from the Home Ministry acknowledged that it is expected to benefit the region most, given its long history of being affected by terrorism. “This is a targeted welfare measure to ensure that the children and spouses of civilian terror victims are given opportunities to pursue medical education and build secure futures,” an MHA official said, adding that the step reflects the government’s commitment to rehabilitating those impacted by terrorism.
The MHA has asked all states and union territories to give wide publicity to the scheme and to invite applications from eligible candidates. All applications must be verified and countersigned by the competent authority in the Home Department of the respective state or UT before being forwarded to the Ministry. The deadline for submission is August 31. Hard copies are to be sent to the Under Secretary (CT-II), Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, while scanned copies must also be emailed to designated addresses.
