Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: Meghalaya students crushed the 2026 National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, yet the state remains trapped in a medical education bottleneck. Data from the National Testing Agency shows 1,658 candidates from Meghalaya qualified this year. That is a 48.4 per cent success rate from 3,425 total test-takers.
The state managed 1,681 qualifiers last year. The marginal dip follows a tougher exam and higher national cut-offs. Bakhambok Anthony Thabah leads the local pack. He hit a 99.26791 percentile with an All India Rank of 14,455. Neighboring Assam produced the Northeast region's top performer, Shubh Prasad, who grabbed an impressive AIR 133.
Success for these students hits a brick wall at home. Meghalaya provides only 144 MBBS seats split between NEIGRIHMS and Shillong Medical College. These spots serve the state quota, the Northeast quota, and the All India Quota. Officials note the disparity, stating, "Unless medical education capacity is expanded through additional government colleges and increased seat availability, hundreds of deserving candidates will continue to leave the state in search of opportunities elsewhere."
Big states keep pulling ahead. Rajasthan hit a 69 per cent qualification rate, fueled by massive coaching networks and deep infrastructure. Meanwhile, states like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka grow their capacity every year. Meghalaya students face a different reality. They must battle for outside seats or private colleges. Costs will soar. The climb to become a doctor in Meghalaya gets steeper every year.
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