The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is set to commence the NEET UG Counselling 2026, following a significant announcement from the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding the addition of 9,911 new MBBS seats across India. These new seats will be allocated under the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) and the 85% state quota. However, it is important to note that the MCC will only oversee the counselling process for the AIQ seats, while individual states will manage the remaining seats for their respective quotas.This increase in MBBS seats is expected to alleviate the competitive pressure on medical aspirants, providing more opportunities for students to secure admission into undergraduate medical, dental, and nursing programs. The new seats will be distributed among various medical colleges, including both government and private institutions, thereby enhancing the overall intake capacity across the country.As the MCC prepares to launch the NEET counselling portal, students are advised to have their documents ready for the registration process, which will soon be available. The seat matrix, detailing the number of seats offered by participating institutes for each course, will be released by the MCC prior to the counselling process. This matrix will categorize seats by institute type, including Deemed Universities, AIIMS, and JIPMER, and will be updated in subsequent rounds of counselling to reflect any newly added seats and vacancies.The NEET counselling process typically consists of four to five rounds, depending on the availability of seats. The registration fees vary by candidate category, with a fee of INR 1,000 for General category candidates applying for AIQ seats and Central Universities, while SC, ST, OBC, and PwD candidates will pay INR 500. For Deemed Universities, the registration fee is set at INR 5,000 for all categories. Tuition fees, which are refundable for those not allotted a seat, will also vary based on the category and type of institution.The NEET UG 2026 counselling registration is expected to remain open for approximately two weeks, with the process tentatively scheduled to include three rounds followed by a stray vacancy round. As the admission process for MBBS, BDS, and BSc Nursing courses approaches, students are encouraged to stay informed about the latest updates and prepare accordingly for the upcoming counselling sessions.
