There is a major update for NEET-UG 2026 aspirants dreaming of pursuing medical studies. The All India Quota has announced that the first round of counseling for admission to MBBS and other undergraduate medical courses will begin on August 4, while the 2026-27 academic session will commence on September 8. This information was provided in the counseling schedule released by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
According to the MCC, the first round of counseling for Deemed and Central Universities will run from August 4 to August 17. Candidates selected in this round must secure admission at their respective institutes by August 22.
Second round of counseling from August 24
Subsequently, the second round of counseling will be held from August 24 to September 2, and the third round from September 10 to September 18. Meanwhile, the Stray Vacancy Round will take place from September 28 to October 3, with the deadline for admission following this round set for October 10.
Stray Vacancy Round from October 3
For State Quota seats, the first round of counseling will be held from August 13 to August 22, with selected candidates required to secure admission by August 28. The second round will take place from August 31 to September 8, the third round from September 16 to September 26, and the Stray Vacancy Round from October 3 to October 5.
New academic session in medical colleges from September 8
The MCC has clarified that the new academic session in medical colleges will begin on September 8, while subsequent counseling rounds will continue to fill vacant seats. Additionally, all participating institutes, state counseling authorities, and relevant agencies have been instructed to strictly adhere to the prescribed timelines. To ensure the process is completed on time, Saturdays, Sundays, and gazetted holidays will also be treated as working days.
Major changes in the counseling process
This year, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has introduced several significant changes to make the counseling process more transparent and student-friendly. Candidates who have been allotted a seat and have opted for an upgrade will no longer be required to physically report to the college merely to complete formalities; their seat will remain secured within the counseling system.
Candidates will now also be able to submit their resignation online via the MCC portal, in accordance with the prescribed rules and timelines, without needing to visit the college in person.
Candidates applying under the NRI quota for deemed universities will now be able to upload their required documents to the online portal.
The MCC states that the objective of these changes is to make the admission process simpler, more transparent, and more convenient for students.
