In India, a certain percentage of seats in medical colleges are reserved for candidates who belong to specific categories, including those who have served or are currently serving in the defense services. This reservation is known as the “Defence Quota” or “Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) Quota.”

The Defence Quota is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses in various medical colleges across India. The percentage of seats reserved under this quota varies from state to state and can range from 1% to 5% of the total seats available.

To be eligible for the Defence Quota, candidates must fulfill certain criteria, such as having served in the Indian Armed Forces, being a spouse or child of a serving or retired defense personnel, or being a dependent of a defense personnel who died in service.

The admission process under the Defence Quota is usually conducted separately from the general admission process, and candidates must apply through the designated authorities or online portals. They must also fulfill the eligibility criteria and submit relevant documents to prove their eligibility.

It is important to note that the Defence Quota is only applicable to Indian citizens and not to foreign nationals or non-resident Indians.

Defence Quota in NEET 2023

The Ministry of Defence has reserved some seats exclusively for the children of defence personnel and officers based on a priority list. The article focuses on MBBS and BDS admissions for the Defence Quota seats in 2023, where there are only 65,000 seats available for the more than 16 lakh medical aspirants who appear for the All India NEET Examination conducted by the National Testing Agency. This means that the competition for these seats is very high. However, the Government of India, Ministry of Defence has provided ample opportunities for the dependents of defence personnel and ex-servicemen by reserving some seats for them.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, allocates seats for admission to MBBS and BDS in various states. A limited number of these seats are available through the Kendriya Sainik Board(KSB) for widows and dependents of various categories of defence personnel. The admission order of priority for these seats through NEET 2023 is as follows:

1. Widows and children of defence personnel who were killed in action.
2. Children of defence personnel who were disabled in action and boarded out from service.
3. Widows and children of defence personnel who died while in service with death attributable to military service.
4. Children of defence personnel who were disabled in service and boarded out with disability attributable to military service.
5. Children of ex-servicemen and serving personnel who are recipients of Gallantry Awards, including Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, Sena, Nau Sena, and Vayu Sena Medal.
6. Children of ex-servicemen.
7. Wives of:

1. i) Defence personnel who were disabled in action and boarded out from service.
2. ii) Defence personnel who were disabled in action and boarded out with disability attributable to military service.

iii) Ex-servicemen and serving personnel who are recipients of Gallantry Awards.

1. Children of serving personnel.
2. Wives of serving personnel.

How to fill up Application for Defence Quota Reservation 

If you are interested in availing this facility, you need to register with the KSB portal.

Fill up the necessary forms and upload the required documents, including:

1. Annexure (Eligibility certificate) signed by ZSB/RSB
2. Discharge book for ESM
3. Identity card for ESM
4. PPO for ESM
5. NEET admit card/score card.

Apply for NEET 2023 Exserviceman Quota or Defence Quota

If you are interested in applying for the Exserviceman Quota or Defence Quota for NEET 2023, you can apply by visiting the official website of the Kendriya Sainik Board. KSB will release a notification for the academic year 2023-24 soon after the NEET result is published. The NTA has issued an official notification for NEET 2023 for admission to various medical and paramedical courses, including MBBS, BDS, BHMS, BAMS, UNANI, and others. The last date to apply is April 6, 2023. You can read the notice for filling out the online form for UG NEET 2023.