Bhubaneswar:  The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) today issued a notification regarding lowering of eligibility criterion of NEET cut-off by 10 percentile for admission against the vacant seats in first year BDS course for the year 2020-2021.

Further, the last date of admission to BDS courses has been extended till February 18.

In the notification, OJEE said candidates belonging to the general category who have secured 40 % will be eligible to be considered for admission in the first year BDS course for the year 2020-2021. Similarly, students belonging to SC/ST categories will be qualified if they have secured 30 %.

"General candidates with bench mark disabilities specified under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 would be eligible if they have secured 35 %. Any other student who has qualified NEET (UG) - 2020 even without lowering the minimum marks and is willing to participate in the admission process will also be considered for admission to BDS course," the notification reads.

As per reports, there are 31 BDS seats vacant in the Hi-Tech. Dental College in Bhubaneswar. Eligible and interested candidates are advised to register on the OJEE  website after paying the requisite counselling fee of Rs 450 online from 5 PM today till 11.59 PM on February 14. Candidates who registered with OJEE earlier, do not have to register again. The merit list of the registered candidates will be displayed on OJEE website on February 15.