NEET UG Counselling 2026: Big news has emerged for candidates awaiting NEET UG counselling. The first round of counselling for admission to MBBS and other undergraduate medical courses under the All India Quota is set to begin on August 4. Meanwhile, the academic session for the 2026-27 batch will commence on September 8. According to the schedule released by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the first round of counselling for Deemed and Central Universities will take place from August 4 to August 17, with the deadline for joining set for August 22.
The first round of NEET UG counselling under the All India Quota (AIQ) is scheduled to start on August 5, 2026. Additionally, the academic session for the 2026-27 batch will begin on September 8, 2026.
The MCC has released the NEET UG 2026 counselling schedule on its official website, mcc.nic.in. Candidates can visit the official website to check the rules, eligibility criteria, and seat allotment process for counselling.
NEET UG Counselling Schedule: Direct Link
NEET UG Counselling Schedule:
The second round of counselling will be conducted from August 24 to September 2. This will be followed by the third round, running from September 10 to September 18. Meanwhile, the Stray Vacancy Round will continue from September 28 to October 3. The deadline for joining after the Stray Vacancy Round is October 10.
NEET UG State Counselling Schedule:
The first round of counselling for State Quota seats will run from August 13 to August 22, with candidates required to join by August 28. The second round will take place from August 31 to September 8, and the third round from September 16 to September 26. The Stray Vacancy Round for State Quota seats will be held from October 3 to October 5. NEET UG Academic Session 2026: According to the schedule shared by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the academic session for undergraduate medical courses is set to begin on September 8, even if the next round of counselling for vacant seats is still ongoing.
Timely Completion of Counselling Process
The MCC has directed all participating institutions, state counselling authorities, and designated agencies to adhere to the schedule strictly. It has also instructed institutions to treat all Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays as working days to ensure the counselling process is completed on time. The MCC, which operates under the Union Ministry of Health, has also introduced several improvements to the NEET UG 2026 counselling process.
Major Changes in NEET UG Counselling
1. No Physical Reporting for Upgradation: Candidates seeking an upgrade will no longer be required to report physically. Under the revised counselling process, candidates who have been allotted a seat and have selected the ‘upgrade’ or ‘willing to upgrade’ option for subsequent rounds do not need to visit the allotted college to report. Their allotted seat will remain secure on the MCC portal, and they will be able to participate in the next round without travelling.
2. Online Facility to Surrender Seats: The MCC will provide an online facility for NEET candidates to surrender their seats. Students can submit an online seat resignation letter through the MCC counselling process. This facility will be available subject to the rules and timelines announced for each counselling phase. Previously, candidates had to visit their respective colleges to surrender their allotted seats.