Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has released the schedule for NEET-UG 2026 counselling, with the first round of admissions under the All India Quota (AIQ) set to commence on August 4. The academic session for MBBS and other undergraduate medical courses will begin on September 8.
According to the schedule, the first round of AIQ counselling for central and deemed universities will be conducted from August 4 to 17, with the admission process to be completed by August 22.
The second round of AIQ counselling will be held from August 24 to September 2, followed by the third round from September 10 to 18. The stray vacancy round is scheduled from September 28 to October 3, while October 10 has been notified as the last date for joining allotted colleges.
Counselling for state quota seats will begin on August 13 and continue until August 22 in the first round. The second round will be conducted from August 31 to September 8, followed by the third round from September 16 to 26. The stray vacancy round for state quota seats has been scheduled from October 3 to 5.
The MCC has directed all participating institutions and state counselling authorities to adhere strictly to the notified schedule. Medical colleges have also been instructed to treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days to ensure the admission process is completed without delays.
This year’s counselling process includes several significant reforms aimed at making admissions more convenient for candidates. Students opting for seat upgradation in subsequent rounds will no longer be required to report physically to their allotted colleges to retain their admissions. Instead, their seats will remain protected in the counselling system while they participate in further rounds, subject to the applicable rules.
The committee has also introduced an online resignation facility, allowing eligible candidates to surrender their allotted seats through the MCC counselling portal within the prescribed timeline without having to visit the allotted institution.
In another major change, candidates applying under the NRI quota in deemed universities will be able to upload all supporting documents online through the counselling portal, simplifying the verification process.
Although the academic session will commence on September 8, counselling for vacant seats will continue through the subsequent rounds in accordance with the notified schedule.
