M.Sc. Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nursing programme, Session 2026, at Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Chandigarh.

1. Course overview

• Course: M.Sc. Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nursing
• Duration: 2 years
• Institution: Government Medical College & Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh
• Session: 2026
• Medium of teaching: English
• Total seats: 4

The prospectus describes the programme as a 2-year postgraduate degree course.

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2. Important admission dates

Activity	Date
Prospectus available online	26 August 2026
Online application starts	26 August 2026
Last date for application and fee	7 September 2026
Provisional list for entrance test	9 September 2026
Admit card available	10 September 2026
Entrance examination	14 September 2026
Result declaration	17 September 2026
Merit list / eligible candidates for counselling	18 September 2026
First counselling	24 September 2026
Second counselling / mop-up, if seats remain	28 September 2026
Start of session	1 October 2026

The prospectus notes that these dates are tentative and may be changed by the competent authorities.

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3. Who is eligible?

You must meet the following main requirements:

Educational qualification

You should have completed one of the following:

• B.Sc. Nursing
• B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing
• Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing

The institution should be recognized by the Indian Nursing Council.

Minimum marks

• General / General PwD: Minimum 55% aggregate
• SC / SC PwD: Minimum 50% aggregate

Nursing registration

You must be a:

• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Registered Midwife (RM)

with a State Nursing Registration Council.

Work experience

The prospectus requires at least one year of work experience after completing the qualifying nursing degree.

The detailed document requirements further specify acceptable experience, including bedside nursing, public health nursing, or nursing educational institutions, subject to the conditions stated in the prospectus. For private hospitals, the document mentions a minimum 50-bedded hospital, and the experience certificate must clearly state the hospital’s bed capacity.

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4. Seat distribution

There are only 4 seats in total.

UT Chandigarh Pool – 3 seats

• 1 seat: In-service candidate
• 2 seats: General category

All India Quota – 1 seat

• 1 seat: General category

The seat matrix shown in the prospectus does not allocate a separate SC or PwD seat in this intake because of the calculation and rounding of the small number of available seats.

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5. UT Chandigarh Pool and All India Quota

UT Chandigarh Pool – 85%

The UT Chandigarh Pool covers candidates who passed their qualifying examination as regular students from colleges recognized by Chandigarh Administration and located in the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

All India Quota – 15%

The remaining seats are for candidates who passed their qualifying examination from institutions outside the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

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6. In-service candidates

For the UT Chandigarh in-service category, the prospectus states that the candidate should:

• Be in regular employment with the UT Health Department, Department of Medical Education and Research, or another department of Chandigarh Administration.
• Have completed at least five years of regular service.
• Possess the required educational qualifications.
• Obtain the required qualifying marks in the entrance examination.
• Submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the employer during document verification/counselling if selected.

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7. Entrance examination

The entrance examination is scheduled for 14 September 2026.

Exam pattern

• Medium: English
• Questions: 100 MCQs
• Marks: 100
• 1 mark per question
• Negative marking: No
• Duration: 2 hours

Minimum qualifying marks

• General / General PwD: 50%
• SC / SC PwD: 45%

Syllabus

The entrance examination will be based on the B.Sc. Nursing syllabus, with extra emphasis on Mental Health Nursing and Research.

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8. Entrance exam timing and reporting

According to the prospectus:

• Exam date: 14 September 2026
• Exam time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Reporting time: By 1:30 PM
• No entry after: 2:30 PM

You need to bring:

1. Downloaded admit card with a self-attested photograph.
2. One valid photo ID:
   • Aadhaar Card
   • Passport
   • Driving Licence
   • Voter ID
   • PAN Card
3. Your own cardboard/writing support as required by the prospectus.

Mobile phones, Bluetooth/electronic devices, watches, jewellery, and bags are not allowed in the examination hall.

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9. How to apply

The application is online only through the GMCH website.

The process described in the prospectus is:

1. Visit the GMCH website.
2. Go to Admissions.
3. Go to M.Sc.-2026.
4. Complete candidate registration.
5. Receive the Registration ID and password by email.
6. Log in and fill in demographic details.
7. Enter educational qualifications.
8. Select the subject for the entrance examination.
9. Upload photograph and signature in JPG format, under 50 KB.
10. Upload the required documents.
11. Review the application.
12. Pay the application fee online.
13. Complete final submission.
14. Print the submitted application form and payment receipt.

After final submission, the application cannot be changed or altered.

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10. Application fee

• General / In-service: ₹2,000 + applicable bank charges
• SC / Third Gender: ₹1,000 + applicable bank charges

The application fee is payable online and is non-refundable.

The separate admission notice also confirms that applications must be submitted online within the prescribed period and that applications submitted in another form or after the deadline will not be entertained.

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11. Documents required

You should be prepared to produce the applicable original documents during counselling, including:

• 10th certificate or birth certificate for proof of date of birth
• 10+2 passing certificate
• 10+2 marks sheet
• Marks sheets of qualifying nursing examinations
• Degree certificate
• SC certificate, where applicable
• PwD certificate, where applicable
• RN/RM registration certificate
• Minimum one-year experience certificate
• UT Chandigarh Pool eligibility certificate, if applicable
• Reserved category certificate, if applicable
• NOC from employer for in-service candidates
• Other applicable documents.

For counselling, candidates must bring the original documents. The prospectus specifically states that attested copies, DigiLocker copies, virtual copies, or letters showing that another institution holds the originals will not be accepted for admission.

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12. Counselling process

To be called for counselling, candidates must:

• Obtain the minimum qualifying marks.
• Be included in the merit list.

The prospectus states that candidates up to three times the number of seats category-wise may be called for counselling.

Merit and tie-breaking

If two candidates obtain equal marks:

1. The older candidate gets higher merit.
2. If there is still a tie, the candidate with higher total marks in B.Sc. Nursing gets higher merit.

Important point

There are no additional marks for counselling. Selection is based on entrance examination rank/merit and eligibility.

Candidates are required to appear in person for counselling.

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13. Fee structure

First year

Fee component	Amount
Admission and Tuition Fee	₹15,500
Amalgamated Fund	₹4,054
College Security – Refundable	₹2,500
Examination Fee	₹6,000
Other College/University charges	As applicable

Second year

Fee component	Amount
Tuition Fee	₹15,500
Amalgamated Fund	₹4,054
Examination Fee	₹6,000
Other College/University charges	As applicable

The fee structure is subject to revision by the Panjab University authorities.

Approximate listed total

Based only on the fixed amounts listed:

• First year: ₹28,054, plus applicable other charges
• Second year: ₹25,554, plus applicable other charges

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14. Important financial condition: leaving the course

A candidate joining the course must submit a bank guarantee of ₹50,000 and an undertaking that they will not leave the course midway.

If the candidate leaves without completing the course, the ₹50,000 bank guarantee may be invoked, according to the conditions in the prospectus and Appendix IV.

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15. Stipend

The prospectus states that the proposal for payment of a stipend to M.Sc. Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nursing students is under process.

It also clearly states that in-service candidates are not entitled to a stipend.

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16. Hostel and other facilities

Hostel

Hostel accommodation may be provided to selected candidates whose residence is not in:

• Chandigarh
• Panchkula
• Mohali

However, availability is subject to the applicable hostel rules, and the prospectus also states that hostel availability after admission cannot be guaranteed.

Other facilities

The prospectus mentions:

• A well-stocked library.
• Professional books, journals, and magazines.
• GMCH health services during illness without charge, though reimbursement is not provided.
• Personal counselling and guidance from faculty members.

17. Key points for you to remember

You are eligible only if you meet all applicable conditions:

• RN and RM registration.
• B.Sc./B.Sc. Hons./Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing from an INC-recognized institution.
• Required aggregate percentage.
• At least one year of qualifying work experience.
• Required entrance examination score.

The competition may be significant because:

• There are only 4 total seats.
• 3 seats are under the UT Chandigarh Pool.
• Only 1 seat is under the All India Quota.

The entrance exam should be your main preparation priority:

• 100 MCQs
• 2 hours
• No negative marking
• B.Sc. Nursing syllabus
• Special emphasis on Mental Health Nursing and Research.