The Government of Puducherry, through the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFWS), has officially announced the postponement of the Common Entrance Examination for admission to B.Sc Nursing courses under CENTAC Government Quota seats for the academic year 2026-27.

According to the official press release issued on 12 June 2026, the entrance examination was originally scheduled to be conducted on 14 June 2026. However, due to the National Testing Agency’s decision to conduct the NEET UG 2026 Re-Examination on 21 June 2026, the Puducherry Government has revised the examination schedule to avoid inconvenience to students appearing for both examinations.

As per the revised schedule, the Puducherry Common Entrance Examination for B.Sc Nursing (CENTAC Government Quota Admissions) will now be held on 05 July 2026 (Sunday).

The entrance examination is conducted by the Board of Examination of Nurses under the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Puducherry, for admission to Government Quota seats in both Government and Private Self-Financing Nursing Colleges of the Union Territory of Puducherry.

This decision is expected to benefit hundreds of nursing aspirants who are also preparing for the NEET UG re-examination. By avoiding a clash between the two examinations, candidates will now have sufficient time to focus on both admission opportunities.

Students are advised to regularly check the official CENTAC and DHFWS websites for updated information regarding admit cards, examination centres, counselling schedules, and further notifications.

Important Dates

Original Exam Date: 14 June 2026
New Exam Date: 05 July 2026 (Sunday)
Course: B.Sc Nursing
Admission Quota: CENTAC Government Quota
Conducting Authority: Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFWS), Puducherry
Reason for Postponement: NEET UG 2026 Re-Examination Schedule

The official notification clearly states that the postponement has been made in the interest of students and to ensure that eligible candidates can participate in both examinations without any scheduling conflict.

Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) has officially invited online applications for the Puducherry Nursing Entrance Test (PNET-2026) for admission into B.Sc Nursing courses under Government Quota seats in Government and Private institutions across the Union Territory of Puducherry for the academic year 2026-27.

Eligible candidates can now apply online through the official CENTAC website.

Important Highlights of PNET-2026

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	Puducherry Nursing Entrance Test (PNET-2026)
Conducting Authority	CENTAC Puducherry
Course Offered	B.Sc Nursing
Academic Session	2026-27
Application Mode	Online
Official Website	centacpuducherry.in
Application Start Date	18 May 2026
Last Date to Apply	01 June 2026 (5:45 PM)

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates applying for PNET-2026 must:

Be residents of the Union Territory of Puducherry.
First submit the UG Non-NEET Application on the CENTAC portal.
Obtain a CENTAC UG Non-NEET application number.
Use the same application number while filling the PNET-2026 application form.

Important Notice for Self-Supporting & NRI Seats

CENTAC has clarified that:

Self-Supporting Seats
NRI Seats

will be filled based on NEET UG 2026 scores in the following institutions:

Institution Name	Seat Type
College of Nursing, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Research Institute (IGMC&RI), Puducherry	Self-Supporting Seats Only
Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute (MTPG&RI), Puducherry, Karaikal & Mahe	Self-Supporting & NRI Seats

Good News for Other State Candidates

Self-supporting seats in the above institutions are also open for candidates from other states in addition to Puducherry residents.

This provides opportunities for students across India to apply for nursing admissions in Puducherry institutions.

Steps to Apply for PNET-2026

Step	Process
Step 1	Visit the official CENTAC website
Step 2	Complete UG Non-NEET Registration
Step 3	Obtain Application Number
Step 4	Fill PNET-2026 Application Form
Step 5	Upload Required Documents
Step 6	Submit Application Before Deadline

Important Advice for Students

Candidates are advised to:

Read the official notification carefully.
Keep documents ready before registration.
Complete the application process before the last date.
Regularly check the official website for updates regarding admit cards and counseling.

Why Nursing is Becoming a Popular Career?

Nursing is becoming one of the fastest-growing healthcare careers because of:

Increasing hospital demand
International job opportunities
Government sector openings
Better career stability
Growing healthcare infrastructure in India

Students planning for B.Sc Nursing admissions should start preparing early for entrance exams and counseling processes to secure seats in reputed institutions

Puducherry B.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam 2026 Postponed – New Exam Date Announced