NEET row-hit Latur tops Maharashtra MBBS seat-allotment list, 1,061 candidates feature in first

Caught at the centre of the NEET paper-leak controversy, Maharashtra’s Latur finally has a reason to celebrate. Of a total of 8,065 seat allotments in the first round of MBBS admissions in the state, the highest – 1061 – have gone to students from Latur.

It is followed by Pune (869), Nanded (803) and then Mumbai City (770). The overall seat-allotment data is from an independent analysis by Latur-based medical education counsellor, Sachin Bangad, who believed that the NEET controversies have overshadowed the town’s long-standing reputation as a hub for medical aspirants.

Latur came under national spotlight after the NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak controversy, after a founder of one of the famous coaching institutions was identified by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as an active member of the network responsible for leaking the paper.

In 2024, Latur was under scrutiny over alleged irregularities involving score manipulation. On Sunday, August 30, the Maharashtra CET Cell declared seat allotment for the first round of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP).

Out of 8,129 seats for MBBS courses in Maharashtra, the first allotment list included 8,065 seats. While there is no location-wise data by the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, Bangad and his team used a system based on NEET roll numbers that has a unique code for each city or town the candidate appeared from.

“These unique code details are available in the NEET information brochure. Each student’s NEET roll-number begins with it. We simply checked the merit list declared by the CET Cell to identify how many candidates having Latur code – 3109 – in their NEET roll-number are part of it,” explained Bangad.

The data, according to locals, has led to the establishment of a large-scale coaching industry in this semi-urban town in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, popular among aspiring doctors from the interiors of the state because of its relatively affordable coaching options.

Satish Pawar from Vidya Aradhna Coaching Class in Latur said it wasn’t a surprise: “Unfortunately few bad elements had brought a clout of controversy on the industry which is generally made of honest hard-working teachers who help students.

This data only reinstates students’ and parents’ faith in the Latur pattern,” he said. Pawar also pointed out that the number of medical aspirants who prepared for NEET in Latur and bagged an MBBS seat in the first round could be higher than this, because many students who prepared for NEET in Latur ended up appearing for the exam from their home district.

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education.

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