NEET UG 2026 Counselling Schedule — 15% AIQ & 100% Deemed/Central Universities, AIIMS, JIPMER
Complete round-wise allotment process schedule for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing admissions conducted online by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for the academic year 2026.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), functioning under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, has released the online counselling schedule for NEET UG 2026. This schedule governs admissions to the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) seats offered by state government medical, dental and nursing colleges, along with 100% of the seats available at Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AIIMS institutions across the country, and JIPMER Puducherry & Karaikal. The counselling covers three courses: MBBS, BDS and B.Sc Nursing. Every year lakhs of NEET-qualified candidates compete for these seats, and understanding the exact allotment timeline is essential to avoid missing a registration window, a choice-locking deadline or a document verification slot.
Unlike state counselling, which is handled separately by each state's Directorate of Medical Education, the MCC counselling process is entirely centralised and conducted online through the official portal, mcc.nic.in. Candidates who wish to be considered for AIQ seats must register separately for MCC counselling even if they have already registered for their respective state counselling, because the two processes run on independent calendars with independent choice-filling and result windows. The AIQ round generally opens before the corresponding state round in each cycle, which is why candidates eligible for both are advised to track both schedules simultaneously rather than waiting for one to finish before starting the other.
Who Conducts It
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services, conducts the entire process in online mode at mcc.nic.in, publishing the seat matrix, round dates and result PDFs directly on its portal.
Who Is Eligible
Only NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who appear in the revised All India merit list can register. Eligibility, reservation and domicile rules vary slightly for AIIMS, JIPMER, Deemed and Central Universities, so candidates should check the official brochure before filling choices.
Seats Covered
The process covers roughly 1.1 lakh MBBS seats and about 27,000 BDS seats nationwide, of which MCC handles the 15% AIQ share plus 100% of seats at AIIMS, JIPMER, Deemed and Central Universities, along with B.Sc Nursing seats at select institutes.
Bookmark this page — we will keep the round dates below updated as MCC releases fresh notices.
Round-wise Counselling Schedule 2026
Tap on a round to view registration, choice filling, allotment and reporting dates.
15% AIQ / Deemed / Central Universities / AIIMS / JIPMER
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Verification of tentative seat matrix by institutes | 4 August 2026 |
| Online registration & fee payment | 5 – 12 August 2026 |
| Choice filling & locking | 6 – 13 August 2026 |
| Processing of seat allotment | 14 – 16 August 2026 |
| Declaration of Round 1 result | 17 August 2026 |
| Reporting / joining at allotted institute | To be notified on portal |
15% AIQ / Deemed / Central Universities / AIIMS / JIPMER
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Verification of tentative seat matrix by institutes | 24 August 2026 |
| Fresh registration & upgradation for existing candidates | To be notified on portal |
| Choice filling & locking | To be notified on portal |
| Declaration of Round 2 result | To be notified on portal |
| Reporting / joining at allotted institute | To be notified on portal |
15% AIQ / Deemed / Central Universities / AIIMS / JIPMER
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Verification of tentative seat matrix by institutes | 10 September 2026 |
| Fresh registration & fee payment | 11 – 15 September 2026 |
| Choice filling & locking | To be notified on portal |
| Declaration of Round 3 result | To be notified on portal |
| Reporting / joining at allotted institute | To be notified on portal |
Final round — remaining vacant seats
After Round 3, any seats that remain vacant across AIQ, Deemed/Central Universities, AIIMS and JIPMER are opened in the Online Stray Vacancy Round — the last chance for candidates to secure a seat through the central counselling process for the 2026 admission cycle. Dates for this round will be released by MCC after Round 3 concludes and will be updated here as soon as they are notified. Candidates should note that admission through this round is generally treated as final, with very limited scope for further upgradation.
⬇ Check Stray Vacancy Notice on mcc.nic.inFrequently Asked Questions
Common doubts about NEET UG 2026 AIQ counselling, answered.
Yes. AIQ counselling conducted by MCC and state quota counselling conducted by your respective state authority are independent processes with separate registration portals, fees and schedules. Eligible candidates can participate in both simultaneously, provided they meet each process's individual eligibility conditions.
The 2026 cycle has four stages — Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and the Online Stray Vacancy Round. If a significant number of seats remain vacant even after these, MCC has in past years opened additional special rounds, so candidates should keep checking mcc.nic.in until admissions officially close.
AIQ and state counselling calendars are deliberately staggered so that a candidate who accepts an AIQ seat can vacate the state seat in time for the next state round, and vice versa. Seats surrendered this way are added back to the respective pool, which is why later rounds sometimes show more vacancies than expected.
Yes. Along with a non-refundable registration/processing fee, candidates are required to pay a refundable security deposit for each round they register in. The exact amount and refund conditions are specified in the official Information Bulletin published alongside the schedule on mcc.nic.in.
This includes all AIIMS institutions across India, JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal, Deemed Universities, Central Universities such as AMU, BHU and JMI, and other centrally notified institutes. Seat-sharing rules differ slightly between institutes — for example, some universities reserve a portion of seats for local or institutional candidates alongside the all-India pool — so candidates should read each institute's specific eligibility notes before filling choices.
As per the schedule released by MCC, the academic session for UG courses admitted through this cycle is set to commence on 8 September 2026. Candidates should track joining deadlines closely after each round, since missing a reporting date can result in the seat being cancelled and reallotted.
Need help with your NEET UG counselling choices?
Talk to our counselling team for round-wise strategy, college shortlisting and document checklists.