NEET UG 2026: Special MBBS Round Opens November 2, With Allotment on November 7

November admissions window targets vacant medical seats

Around 2,000 MBBS seats are reportedly vacant across India after several rounds of NEET UG 2026 counselling, prompting an additional admissions opportunity scheduled to begin on November 2. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), has announced a special stray vacancy round, with seat allotment results due on November 7 and college reporting ending at 5 p.m. on November 16.

Registration closes at 3 p.m. on November 4. Candidates have until 11 a.m. on November 5 to complete their college and course choices. Those deadlines cover different tasks: registering creates or confirms participation, while choice filling tells the counselling system which available seats a candidate wants.

The November 2 timetable also covers the fifth counselling round for BDS and BSc Nursing. A sixth round for those two courses begins on November 17, with results scheduled for November 20 and reporting continuing until November 28.

MBBS is the undergraduate medical degree for students training to become doctors, BDS is the undergraduate dental degree, and BSc Nursing is a degree in nursing. For applicants still seeking admission, the immediate task is to identify the correct course and round before completing registration, payment and preferences.

Why another round is being held

Karnataka, Telangana, West Bengal and Rajasthan each reportedly had more than 100 vacant MBBS seats after earlier counselling rounds. Together, those state figures represent more than 400 seats, compared with the nationwide estimate of around 2,000. Most vacancies were reported in private medical colleges and deemed universities, although some government quota seats also remained unfilled.

Medical colleges and state governments had sought another opportunity to admit students. Career counselling expert Parijat Mishra attributed the remaining vacancies mainly to candidates who received seats during earlier rounds but did not join or report to their allotted institutions.

A special stray vacancy round is an additional allocation exercise for seats left empty after the usual admissions process. Candidates submit preferences, and seats are allocated using their NEET UG ranks, their choices and the vacancies available within the relevant counselling categories.

The nationwide vacancy estimate gives a sense of the problem facing medical colleges. Applicants still need to check the actual colleges, courses and seat categories available through MCC before deciding what to place on their preference lists.

The special round calendar

MCC has scheduled the special MBBS round and the fifth BDS and BSc Nursing round across the first half of November. The registration window is shorter than the choice filling window, so completing preferences on November 5 requires candidates to have dealt with registration earlier.

• November 2, 2026: Registration and choice filling begin. The detailed payment timetable gives a starting time of 10 a.m.
• November 4, 3 p.m.: Registration closes.
• November 4, 4 p.m.: Choice locking opens.
• November 5, 11 a.m.: Choice filling and locking close.
• November 5 and 6: Seat allotment is processed.
• November 7: Allotment results are scheduled for publication, and college reporting begins.
• November 16, 5 p.m.: Reporting at allotted colleges ends.

The fee payment cutoff needs particular attention. Detailed timetable descriptions give 6 p.m. on November 4, while several summaries put registration and payment together under a 3 p.m. deadline. Candidates should confirm the payment cutoff in the MCC portal and, where possible, complete both tasks before 3 p.m. to avoid relying on the later time.

Choice locking and reporting deadlines are stated according to server time. Candidates should follow the counselling portal's displayed timing and instructions when completing their submissions.

Who can take part and how to register

The round covers the 15% All India Quota and other central counselling categories managed by MCC. The All India Quota is a pool of seats allocated through national counselling. Candidates must check the eligibility conditions for their course, category and previous counselling status before participating.

Previously registered candidates who have not received a seat allotment are described as able to proceed directly to choice filling without registering again. They should check their account status and the round instructions before deciding whether a fresh registration or another payment is required.

Applicants can begin through mcc.nic.in or the MCC admissions portal at mcc.admissions.nic.in. The process involves opening the relevant registration link, entering login credentials, completing any required registration details and paying the prescribed fee.

The fee amount and full eligibility conditions are not specified in the timetable details described here. Applicants should check those requirements in the current MCC instructions before making a payment. Keeping copies of the payment receipt and registration confirmation provides a record of the steps completed.

Choice filling has its own deadline

College and course preferences can be entered from November 2 until 11 a.m. on November 5. Choice locking, the step used to confirm the preference list, is available only from 4 p.m. on November 4 until 11 a.m. the following day.

Those times create a locking window of 19 hours. Registration closes before that window opens, while candidates still have time afterward to finish and confirm their choices. Applicants should therefore treat registration, payment and preference submission as separate tasks with separate cutoffs.

Candidates should arrange colleges and courses in their preferred order, review the list and complete the confirmation process. Before locking, they should examine the available seat category, college fees, admission requirements and whether they are prepared to join that institution.

The financial commitment matters at this stage. Counselling advisories described for the round warn that candidates who receive a seat but do not join may face financial penalties and forfeiture of their security deposit. Applicants should check the applicable MCC conditions before including a college they would be unable to attend.

What happens after the November 7 result

MCC is scheduled to process allotments on November 5 and 6 and publish results on November 7. Candidates can check their allocation through the counselling portal, then follow the instructions for the allotted college.

Successful candidates must report physically and complete admission formalities between November 7 and 5 p.m. on November 16. Receiving an allotment is followed by document verification, payment of the required college fees and the institution's admission procedures.

Original documents are required for verification. Candidates should prepare their NEET UG documents, academic certificates, identity documents and any other papers required by MCC and the allotted institution. The college's notice should guide the exact checklist and reporting arrangements.

Failure to report within the prescribed period may lead to cancellation of the allotted seat and other consequences under the applicable counselling rules. Candidates should check the result promptly so they have time to arrange travel, gather documents and complete the college's requirements before the deadline.

BDS and nursing have a sixth round

BDS and BSc Nursing candidates have a further counselling round scheduled after reporting for the November 7 allotments ends. The sixth round begins on November 17 and has its own registration, payment, choice locking and reporting dates.

• November 17: Registration and choice filling begin. Payment opens at 10 a.m.
• November 18, 4 p.m.: Choice locking opens.
• November 19, 9 a.m.: Choice filling and locking close.
• November 19: Seat allotment is processed. Most schedule descriptions give a registration cutoff of 3 p.m. and a payment cutoff of 6 p.m. that day.
• November 20: Allotment results are scheduled for publication.
• November 21 to 28: Candidates report to allotted colleges, with reporting ending at 5 p.m. on November 28.

The sixth round registration date needs checking: the MCC timetable is widely described as allowing registration until November 19 at 3 p.m., but a published timetable also lists November 18 at 3 p.m. Candidates should verify the date in the portal and complete registration by the earlier time where possible.

The preference deadline falls at 9 a.m. on November 19, earlier than the registration and payment cutoffs commonly listed for that day. Candidates should complete the steps needed to submit choices before that morning deadline rather than wait for the later registration or payment hours.

Three dates applicants should keep separate

November 4 is the registration deadline for the special MBBS round and fifth BDS and BSc Nursing round. November 5 is the final morning for submitting and locking choices. November 16 is the last day for successful candidates to report to their colleges.

Dental and nursing applicants considering the sixth round then move to a different timetable beginning November 17. Keeping the two calendars separate helps candidates plan payments, preference submission and travel around the correct admission result.

Key Points

• Around 2,000 MBBS seats are reportedly vacant nationwide after earlier counselling rounds.
• The special MBBS round and fifth BDS and BSc Nursing round open on November 2, 2026.
• Registration closes November 4 at 3 p.m.; candidates should verify the payment cutoff.
• Choices must be filled and locked by November 5 at 11 a.m.
• Results are scheduled for November 7, with college reporting ending November 16 at 5 p.m.
• The sixth BDS and BSc Nursing round begins November 17; candidates should confirm its registration deadline.
• Sixth round results are due November 20, followed by reporting from November 21 to 28.