NEET-UG 2026: Over 1.39 Lakh MBBS Seats Up For Grabs Counselling Begins
Education expert Dev Sharma said around 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for NEET UG 2026 will fill out their registration for first phase of central counselling.
Published : August 5, 2026 at 9:04 PM IST
Kota: Admission procedure for various medical and dental colleges has begun across the country on the basis of NEET UG 2026 All India ranks. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has initiated the central quota counselling (All India 15 per cent) from Wednesday onwards.
The state quota (85 per cent) counselling will start from August 13. The entire process of counselling both for central and state quotas will help candidates get enrolled in 1.39 lakh MBBS seats and 28,000 BDS seats, respectively.
As per the observations of education expert Dev Sharma, around 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for NEET UG 2026 will fill out their registration for the first phase of central counselling.
A counselling guidebook of 56 pages has been issued on August 5, where candidates will have access to details of MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing seats, preference list, and seat availability in real-time on the portal.
The online process includes significant steps such as counselling registration, filling and locking of choices, results of seat allotment, and resolving discrepancies in the uploaded documents. The application process described in the manual includes the authentication form, application form, qualification details, apply page, contact details, document uploading, and submission.
For the 15 per cent all India quota, general and EWS candidates need to pay a non-refundable registration fee of Rs. 1,000 along with the refundable fee of Rs. 10,000. For the OBC (non-creamy layer), SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the non-refundable fee will be Rs. 500, and the refundable fee will be Rs. 5,000. For candidates applying in Deemed Universities in all categories, the non-refundable fee is Rs. 5,000, and the refundable fee will be Rs. 2,00,000.
The seat matrix was released as per the first round schedule on August 4. The registration period is from August 5 to 12, with choice filing and locking taking place from August 6 to 13. The seat allotment process would occur from August 13 to 16, with the result being declared on August 17. The allotted candidates need to attend and join their institution from August 18 to 22, while document verification is done on August 23.
