Counselling7 min readPublished 23 June 2026· Last verified 9 July 2026

MBBS Admission in Arunachal Pradesh 2026: TRIHMS, ST Quota and Open State Options

Arunachal Pradesh has one government medical college — TRIHMS Naharlagun — with 50 MBBS seats. Virtually all state quota seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates. Non-ST students must rely on AIQ and management quota in other states.

By Kumar Amitabh

In this article

1. TRIHMS Naharlagun — The Only Government Option in AP
2. Approximate Cutoff Ranks — TRIHMS (2026 Est.)
3. State Quota Eligibility at TRIHMS
4. AIQ Route — Open to All AP Students
5. Management Quota for Non-ST and Non-Government Pathways
6. 2026 Counselling Action Plan for AP Students

Disclaimer

Cutoff ranks below are based on 2025 data and 2026 projections. Official 2026 cutoffs will only be known after MCC counselling concludes. Always verify with official notifications.

TRIHMS Naharlagun — The Only Government Option in AP

College	City	Total MBBS	State Quota	AIQ	Key Note
TRIHMS Naharlagun	Naharlagun (Itanagar)	50	42	8	State quota virtually all ST reservation

TRIHMS (Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences) is the only government MBBS college in Arunachal Pradesh. With 50 total seats, 42 go to state quota and 8 to AIQ. The 42 state quota seats are almost entirely reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates indigenous to Arunachal Pradesh — recognised tribes under the AP Scheduled Tribes list. Non-tribal Arunachal domicile holders have minimal access to state quota at TRIHMS.

Approximate Cutoff Ranks — TRIHMS (2026 Est.)

Route	General (Approx.)	ST Arunachal (Approx.)
AIQ (General)	1,00,000 – 1,30,000	N/A (category-specific AIQ)
State Quota — ST AP	2,00,000 – 3,00,000	Can extend beyond 6,00,000

State Quota Eligibility at TRIHMS

For state quota at TRIHMS, candidates must hold a permanent domicile certificate of Arunachal Pradesh issued by a competent authority, and the ST certificate must recognise the candidate as a member of an AP-notified Scheduled Tribe. Verify current eligibility criteria with DME Arunachal Pradesh — requirements and reservation percentages may be updated for 2026.

AIQ Route — Open to All AP Students

The 8 AIQ seats at TRIHMS are open to any NEET-UG candidate. But with only 8 seats, competition is fierce. Arunachal students should also target AIQ seats at Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram government colleges — a wider range gives more chances.

Management Quota for Non-ST and Non-Government Pathways

For AP students who do not hold ST status or whose rank does not land an AIQ seat, management quota in other states is the primary option. Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have open management quota — no AP domicile required.

Karnataka: FRC-regulated management quota. Scores of 430+ generally sufficient. Large NMC-approved private college pool.
Telangana: TSCHE management quota. FRC-regulated. Strong private MBBS infrastructure.
Uttar Pradesh: DME UP management quota. Scores of 400+ may qualify at some colleges.
Deemed Universities: MCC-Deemed counselling open to all. Higher fees but strong infrastructure.

ST students — check all reservations

AP Scheduled Tribe candidates often qualify for ST category reservations at government colleges across India under AIQ ST quota. This means significantly more relaxed AIQ cutoffs at colleges nationwide — not just at TRIHMS. Check your ST certificate is issued correctly and is in the approved format for central counselling.

2026 Counselling Action Plan for AP Students

Note on 2026 timing

NTA cancelled the original May 2026 NEET-UG exam after a paper-leak controversy and held a re-exam on 21 June 2026, with results expected only around 20 July 2026. MCC Round 1, usually expected in early July, is now more likely to open around August 2026 — confirm at mcc.nic.in.

Register for MCC AIQ counselling as soon as Round 1 opens (delayed to around August 2026). Fill choices including TRIHMS and NE government colleges as well as government colleges in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand (lower AIQ cutoffs).
ST certificate holders: ensure your ST certificate is in the MCC-accepted format before registration.
If you hold AP domicile and ST status, register for DME Arunachal Pradesh state quota counselling separately (expected to follow a few weeks after MCC Round 1).
Research management quota options in parallel — shortlist NMC-approved Karnataka and Telangana colleges, verify FRC fees.