The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), functioning under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has released the official counselling schedule for NEET UG 2026, through which qualified candidates will be allotted seats in MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, and other undergraduate medical courses. The schedule, published on MCC's official website mcc. nic. in, covers three rounds of counselling and a stray vacancy round for the 15% All India Quota (AIQ), Deemed and Central Universities, and State Quota seats across the country. Round 1 of AIQ counselling begins on August 4, 2026, while State Quota Round 1 counselling starts on August 13, 2026. The process will continue through early October 2026, ahead of the commencement of the academic session for UG courses on September 8, 2026.
The NEET UG 2026 counselling will be conducted in three rounds, followed by a Stray Vacancy Round, for both 15% All India Quota (AIQ) and State Quota seats. AIQ counselling begins on August 4, while State Quota counselling starts on August 13. The process continues through October 10, 2026, with separate deadlines for joining and verification after each round. MCC has also directed all participating institutes and counselling authorities to complete timely data verification to ensure smooth seat allotment and prevent duplicate admissions.
|
Round |
AIQ / Deemed & Central Universities |
State Quota |
|
Round 1 |
Aug 4 - Aug 17, 2026 (Joining: Aug 22) |
Aug 13 - Aug 22, 2026 (Joining: Aug 28) |
|
Round 2 |
Aug 24 - Sept 2, 2026 (Joining: Sept 8) |
Aug 31 - Sept 8, 2026 (Joining: Sept 14) |
|
Round 3 |
Sept 10 - Sept 18, 2026 (Joining: Sept 26) |
Sept 16 - Sept 26, 2026 (Joining: Oct 1) |
|
Stray Vacancy |
Sept 28 - Oct 3, 2026 (Joining: Oct 10) |
Oct 3 - Oct 5, 2026 (Joining: Oct 10) |
|
Academic Session Begins |
September 8, 2026 |
N/A |
With the NEET UG 2026 counselling process now officially underway, candidates are advised to track round-wise deadlines for registration, choice filling, and reporting closely to avoid missing seat allotment opportunities. MCC has advised aspirants to regularly check mcc.nic.in for the Information Bulletin and any updates or revisions to the schedule. Candidates applying under State Quota seats should also stay in contact with their respective State Counselling Authorities, as procedures and portals may vary by state. With three structured rounds followed by a stray vacancy round, the schedule is designed to ensure maximum seat utilisation before the academic session begins on September 8, 2026.
