SRINAGAR: Open Merit candidates account for only 43.3 per cent of the total pool in the newly released provisional merit list for postgraduate MD and MS Ayurveda courses in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving the remaining 56.7 per cent to reserved category candidates. Of the 113 qualified candidates listed by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), only 49 belong to the Open Merit (OM) pool, while aspirants from various reserved categories occupy 64 spots.
The shrinking footprint of Open Merit is particularly stark at the very top of the merit chart. Within the top 10 ranks, Open Merit candidates have managed to secure only three positions. The remaining seven slots are dominated by reserved category aspirants who qualified at the top of the common pool, including four candidates from the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category, two from Scheduled Tribe-II (ST-II), and one from Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The provisional UT merit list was compiled following the declaration of the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) 2026 results by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The apex position on the list is held by Dhruv Sharma, an ST-II candidate who secured UT Rank 1 with an AIAPGET score of 320. The second rank is held by Sumit Bhat, an Open Merit candidate with a score of 315.
A detailed breakdown of the 64 reserved category candidates on the list reveals that Scheduled Castes (SC) form the largest bloc with 18 candidates. They are followed closely by Scheduled Tribe-II (ST-II) with 17 candidates, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) with 11 candidates. The Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category accounts for 9 candidates, while the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) has 5, and the ST-I and ALC/IB categories feature 2 candidates each.
The distribution highlights the intense competition faced by candidates who do not enjoy social or geographic reservations, as they must vie for a significantly constrained share of the overall merit pool. Under J&K admission norms, reserved category candidates who secure high scores are automatically counted under the Open Merit segment based on their absolute merit, shifting the composition of the general merit list.
The provisional list was officially published via BOPEE Notification No. 251-BOPEE of 2026, dated November 4, 2026. The board has allowed candidates to submit physical representations or rectify highlighted document deficiencies at its Jammu or Srinagar offices by a strict deadline of November 5, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., after which the merit list will be treated as final.
