Medical
Jun 24, 2026
NEET UG 2026: MCC Announces Round 1 Counselling Schedule for MBBS Admissions
R
Rajesh Kumar
Jun 24, 2026
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Following the declaration of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2026 results by the NTA earlier this month, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has finally notified the schedule for the All India Quota (AIQ) seat allotment. This year, the stakes are higher than ever, with over 24 lakh students vying for approximately 1.1 lakh MBBS seats across the country. The MCC will conduct four rounds of online counselling: Round 1, Round 2, the Mop-up Round, and the Stray Vacancy Round. Registration for the first round will be open from July 5 to July 12, 2026, on the official portal mcc.nic.in.
The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) stated that the counselling process has been updated to include 15% AIQ seats, 100% seats in Deemed/Central Universities, and seats in ESIC and AFMS colleges. A significant change this year is the mandatory uploading of documents on the MCC portal prior to the physical reporting at the allotted college. This is intended to speed up the verification process and reduce the burden on college administrations. Students must ensure their NEET UG 2026 admit cards, rank letters, and relevant identity proofs are in order before the portal opens next week.
Medical education experts have pointed out that the opening and closing ranks for top-tier colleges like AIIMS New Delhi and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) are expected to be extremely competitive. 'We are seeing a trend where the top 1000 rankers are almost exclusively choosing AIIMS over traditional state colleges,' says Dr. Rajesh Kumar, a career consultant. He also advised students to be cautious during the 'Choice Filling' stage, as a mistake in the order of preference cannot be rectified once the window closes. The result for the first round of allotment is scheduled to be published on July 15, 2026.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has confirmed the addition of 12 new government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal for the 2026-27 academic session. This addition is expected to provide some relief to students who are on the borderline of the cutoff. Candidates are also reminded that the state-level counselling for the remaining 85% of seats will be conducted by the respective state medical authorities concurrently with the MCC rounds. It is crucial for aspirants to keep a close watch on both central and state notifications to maximize their chances of securing a seat.
The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) stated that the counselling process has been updated to include 15% AIQ seats, 100% seats in Deemed/Central Universities, and seats in ESIC and AFMS colleges. A significant change this year is the mandatory uploading of documents on the MCC portal prior to the physical reporting at the allotted college. This is intended to speed up the verification process and reduce the burden on college administrations. Students must ensure their NEET UG 2026 admit cards, rank letters, and relevant identity proofs are in order before the portal opens next week.
Medical education experts have pointed out that the opening and closing ranks for top-tier colleges like AIIMS New Delhi and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) are expected to be extremely competitive. 'We are seeing a trend where the top 1000 rankers are almost exclusively choosing AIIMS over traditional state colleges,' says Dr. Rajesh Kumar, a career consultant. He also advised students to be cautious during the 'Choice Filling' stage, as a mistake in the order of preference cannot be rectified once the window closes. The result for the first round of allotment is scheduled to be published on July 15, 2026.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has confirmed the addition of 12 new government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal for the 2026-27 academic session. This addition is expected to provide some relief to students who are on the borderline of the cutoff. Candidates are also reminded that the state-level counselling for the remaining 85% of seats will be conducted by the respective state medical authorities concurrently with the MCC rounds. It is crucial for aspirants to keep a close watch on both central and state notifications to maximize their chances of securing a seat.