Karnataka MDS Counselling 2024 – Dates, Procedures, Guidance

Hey everyone! Surely, you are already aware that Karnataka is one of the oldest and most famous hubs of dental education in our country. The Green State fascinates huge troupes of dental students with a myriad of aspirations every year.

One such program is the Masters of Dental Surgery, or MDS, course, which draws a lot of attention from many doctors from all nooks and corners of the nation.

Karnataka boasts a commendable number of dental colleges of substantial reputation.  However, what’s complex is the NEET MDS admission process, which requires real understanding before you step into the process!

The NEET MDS admission process in Karnataka is conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority, commonly referred to as KEA counselling. Every year, post the announcement of the NEET MDS results, the KEA will announce the Karnataka MDS counselling protocols through its website http://kea.kar.nic.in/.

However, I feel that for writing a detailed review of the Karnataka NEET MDS Counseling, it’s important to give you a complete idea of the process.

First of all, I will list all the dental colleges in Karnataka which come under the KEA counselling process.

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Colleges under Karnataka MDS Counselling – KEA

1. Government Dental College, Bangalore – 15% Seats.
2. Dayananda Sagar College of Dental Sciences, Bangalore.
3. Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bangalore.
4. Dr. M.R. Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore.
5. M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Dental Faculty, Bangalore.
6. D. A. Pandu Memorial RV Dental College, Bangalore.
7. Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore.
8. K.L.E.S. Institute of Dental Sciences, Bangalore.
9. Bangalore Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Bangalore.
10. Vydehi Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore.
11. Oxford Dental College, Bangalore.
12. Raja Rajeshwari Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore.
13. Sri Rajiv Gandhi Dental College, Bangalore.
14. AECS Maruti College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore.
15. Bapuji Dental College and Hospital, Davangere.
16. College of Dental Sciences, Davangere.
17. Sharavathi Dental College, Shimoga.
18. Subbaiah Dental College Shimoga.
19. AME’S Dental College, Raichur.
20. Navodaya Dental College, Raichur.
21. HKE S Nijalingappa Dental College, Gulbarga.
22. Al Badar Dental College and Hospital, Gulbarga.
23. Al-Ameen Dental College, Raichur.
24. Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Dental College, Dharwad.
25. Maratha Mandal Dental College, Belgaum.
26. KVG Dental College, Sullia.
27. Srinivasa Dental College, Mangalore.
28. PM Nadagowda Memorial Dental College and Hospital, Bagalkot.
29. Sri Hasanamba Dental College and Hospital, Hassan.
30. Coor Institute of Dental Sciences, Virajpet.
31. SJM Dental College, Chitradurga.
32. S.B. Patil Institute for Dental Sciences and Research, Bidar.
33. Farooquia Dental College, Mysore.
34. A.J. Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore.
35. KGF Dental College, Kolar.

MDS, or Masters of Dental Surgery, is a 3-year degree course, and NEET MDS counselling is the only gateway to it!  A postgraduate degree can be pursued in any one of these nine disciplines of dentistry i.e., Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Pedodontics, Periodontology, Pedodontics, Oral Medicine, Community Dentistry, and Oral Pathology. 

However, you must know that a few dental colleges in Karnataka also facilitate the 2-year diploma program for certain branches. Admission into these seats is also regulated through KEA counselling.

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KEA MDS Counselling Process in Karnataka

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru, is the only authority designated for conducting admissions to postgraduate degree and diploma courses. The counselling is conducted online/offline for all government and private dental colleges in all categories of seats in the state. 

However, if you are planning your MDS journey at any deemed dental institutes in Karnataka,  then you have to participate in the all-India counselling conducted by the MCCI. 

The protocols of the KEA MDS counselling slightly vary from the all-India counselling. Hence, for the ease of your understanding, I am going to outline the steps of the KEA counselling:

1. Online Registration through http://kea.kar.nic.in/.
2. Payment of Registration fees.
3. Payment of Security fees, if applicable.
4. Physical Verification of Documents at KEA.
5. Display of Seat Matrix and Fee Structure.
6. Option Entry by eligible candidates.
7. Publication of Mock Allotment Results.
8. Editing of option entry by eligible candidates.
9. Publication of the first round allotment Result.
10.  Payment of fees for allotted and interested candidates.
11.  Submission of Original Documents and Collection of Admission Order
12.  Last Date for Reporting at the Allotted College.

Karnataka NEET MDS counselling kicks off with online registration, payment of the registration fee, and entry of application details online.  The registration will require your personal and academic details as well. 

Reg. Fees for Karnataka Candidate
General/2A/2B/3A/3B	SC/ST/CAT-1/PWBD
500/-	1000/-

Reg. fees for Non-Karnataka Candidates
General/SC/ST/ PWBD	NRI/OCI/PIO/ Foreign Nationals
2000/-	5000/-

Once you save your login details for creating your registration profile, these details are not editable. Hence, you must be very sure about all the information you have added before hitting ‘the register’ tab!

Document Verification:

Unlike other counselling, document verification is scheduled before the Options entry round in Karnataka. The registered applicants have to report with all sets of original documents for evaluation physically. Verified students will receive a verification slip with their secret credentials printed on it. These details are mandatory to participate in the option entry round. 

Option Entry, Mock Allotment, and Results :

The KEA will enable the option entry round after document verification. You can enter any number of options as per your choices. However, you should be careful with the college codes of your choice of institute and specialization.

The mock allotment is a unique feature in KEA counselling, which is announced following the option entry of the first round of counselling. Students can edit the options after the mock allotment and then finally lock in their choices. Once this round is over, you just have to wait for the final announcement of the results!

Final Admission to the Allotted Institute:

Once the results are out, the allotted students have to confirm their decision further online. The KEA lists four options, and you can choose either to go ahead with the allotted college or to participate in the subsequent rounds for better results.

It’s your call! However, if you confirm to join the allotted college, the website will direct you to pay the designated fees online and collect your admission order.  Furthermore, you have to again report to the allotted institute after all these steps are accomplished, and finally, you are done!

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MDS Eligibility Criteria in Karnataka

MDS applicants who have registered for the KEA, or Karnataka state counseling, must also fit in their eligibility criteria. The protocol requires you to report physically for verification of eligibility and original documents. 

You must pass the BDS course and complete the one-year internship at a dental institute recognized by the DCI. 

Also, passing the NEET MDS exam with the minimum cut-off marks is imperative! 

A noteworthy point here is that the cut-off score criteria for SC/ST/OBC candidates comply with the rules for general and unreserved categories, especially for non-Karnataka domicile candidates.  

This cut-off score makes its way every year during the NEET MDS results through its official websites, https://natboard.edu.in/ and  https://mcc.nic.in/ 

The NEET MDS 2024 cut-off score will be announced after the NEET MDS exam, which is likely to be conducted on February 9, 2024! 

But you can still set your goals by having a look at the previous years’ cut-off percentiles; hence, I have added the details for your best benefit. 😀

NEET MDS Cut-off 2024
Category	First Qualifying Percentile	Cut-Off Score
General /EWS	N/A	N/A
UR-PWD	N/A	N/A
SC/ST/OBC	N/A	N/A

The NEET MDS cut-off 2023 for the General/EWS category was 272 (50th percentile), 255 (45th percentile) for UR-PWD, and 238 (40th percentile) for the SC, ST, and OBC reservations.

This was further reduced to 168 (18th percentile) for the General/EWS category, 149 (13th percentile) for UR-PWD, and 125 (8th percentile) for the SC, ST, and OBC categories after the MDS second round of counselling.

Likewise, in 2022, the NEET MDS cut-off for the General/EWS category was 263 (50th percentile), 245 (45th percentile) for UR-PWD, and 227 (40th percentile) for the SC, ST, and OBC reservations.

The revised cut-off in 2022 was 174 (24th percentile) for the General/EWS category, 157 (19th percentile) for UR-PWD, and 138 (14th percentile) for the SC, ST, and OBC categories.

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MDS Seat Matrix in Karnataka

The Karnataka Seat Matrix plays a crucial role in the MDS counselling process. Knowledge about the various seat divisions can not just help you in the counselling process, but you can also get a financial benefit if you are aware! 

The Karnataka MDS seats are classified into four main categories, which are, Government (G) seats, Private (P) seats, NRI (N) seats, and Others (Q) seats.

Government seats, or G-quota seats, are the government’s share of seats in private colleges. These include 40% of the total seats and are only available to students who bear the domicile of Karnataka or have passed out BDS from any dental college in the state. 

Private, or P-quota seats, on the other hand, mean seats in private colleges. In the case of private dental colleges, 40% of the seats are reserved as private quota seats. These seats are further classified into general merit private seats (GMP) and open category seats (OPN).

Apart from these two major categories, KEA further reserves 15% of seats for students who want to apply for MDS in Karnataka and have NRI status. Additionally, 5% of seats are attributed to the others or management quota seats in private dental colleges. 

Government / G seats :

50% of Seats in Government colleges

33% of seats in Private Non-Minority colleges

20% of Seats in Private Minority (Religious and linguistic) colleges

40% of Seats in Private University colleges

Private / P seats:

50% are GMP seats

50% are OPN seats, reserved for any student who is a  Citizen of India

NRI / N seats:

15% of the total seats reserved for NRI students in dental colleges

Other / Q seats :

5% of total seats are reserved in private universities in dental colleges

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MDS Fee Structure in Karnataka

As I  stated earlier, the MDS seats are divided into various categories in Karnataka. This acts as the basis for the fee structure of MDS. In addition, the cost of each dental institute may vary from another because of the diversity of dental colleges.

Consequently, I have furnished the tuition fee details, ranging from the lowest to the highest fees levied for each branch of the MDS course.

You can go through my detailed post about the MDS fee structure in the following links:

• KEA MDS Fee Structure.
• MDS Fee structure in Karnataka.
• MDS Fee structure in Bangalore.
• MDS fees in deemed universities.

If you are looking for MDS admission in any other state with the lowest fees, you can contact me at +91-8951242255 and I can guide you accordingly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many rounds of counselling are there in NEET MDS in Karnataka?

The NEET MDS counseling in Karnataka is conducted over four rounds, the first round, the second round, the MOP-UP round, and the stray vacancy round. However, the conduct of the subsequent rounds depends on seat availability after the first round of counseling.

Can I join MDS without NEET in Karnataka?

No, you cannot join MDS in dental colleges in Karnataka without appearing for the NEET MDS exam. Additionally, to be eligible for MDS admission in Karnataka, you also have to obtain the minimum qualifying score.

What is the total mark for NEET MDS exam in Karnataka?

The NEET MDS test consists of 240 multiple-choice questions, each worth four marks. The exam lasts three hours, and the total score is 960. In addition, one right answer receives four marks, and each incorrect response receives one mark deduction.

How many MDS dental colleges are there in Karnataka?

There are 40 dental colleges in Karnataka, which include 1 government dental college, 33 private dental colleges affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bangalore, and 6 deemed dental colleges.

What is the MDS fee structure in Karnataka?

The MDS fee structure in Karnataka is based on the different reservation categories in Karnataka and the dental specialty. The government, or G quota seats, offers a fee structure of 250000 to 372836, while the tuition fees for private or P quota seats are between 372836 and 681434. On the other hand, the NRI quota and the others/management seat can levy tuition fees from 915750 to 1815750 yearly, depending on the institute.

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Conclusion 

There is no denying that Karnataka is an important hub for education, not just for dentistry but for a wide range of other fields as well. Its status can be attributed to the large number of legendary dental colleges it owns. The majority of institutions are well-known, exhibit high standards of quality, and are built on a sturdy academic and technological foundation. Still, you never know what’s inside the core! 

Thus, make an effort to become familiar with all aspects of the colleges that appeal to you before making your final choices. Now that your MDS plans are ready to go, I hope this blog will help you make an achievable plan for your MDS admission in Karnataka!

Need my guidance? 😀

Then you can contact me at +91-8951242255, and I can help you through the complete MDS admission and counselling procedures.

Have questions?

Feel free to comment on your queries below, and I will try my best to revert as soon as possible.