NEET UG stray round extended: register by 4 pm on 16 October, and MCC’s list shows 4,068 seats still open
The Medical Counselling Committee has pushed the all-India stray vacancy round for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc nursing to 16 October. Registration closes at 4 pm, choices lock by 11:55 pm and the result is now due on 19 October. Its clear vacancy list puts 4,068 seats on the table, 3,426 of them MBBS.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has extended the all-India stray vacancy round of NEET UG counselling 2026. Its notice of 14 October 2026 keeps registration open until 4 pm on Friday, 16 October, with choice filling running late into that night. The result, which the earlier schedule had fixed for 17 October, will now come on 19 October.
The revised stray round schedule
| Step | Deadline (server time) |
|---|---|
| Registration | 16 October 2026, 4 pm |
| Reset of registration | 16 October 2026, 3 pm |
| Payment | 16 October 2026, 6 pm |
| Choice filling | 16 October 2026, 11:55 pm |
| Choice locking | 7 pm to 11:55 pm on 16 October 2026 |
| Seat processing | 17 and 18 October 2026 |
| Result | 19 October 2026 |
| Reporting at the allotted college | 19 to 26 October 2026 |
What is actually on offer
MCC has also published the clear vacancy list for the round, a 64-page table of every seat that will go into the stray allotment. The grand total is 4,068 seats:
- MBBS: 3,426
- BDS: 499
- B.Sc nursing: 143
Our count of the list shows where they sit. About 2,360 of the 4,068 are at deemed universities, most of them self-financed merit seats with deemed-university fees. Roughly 1,420 are all-India quota seats in state government colleges, and the rest are spread across central universities, ESIC colleges and AIIMS institutes.
By state, Tamil Nadu has the most open seats (1,386), followed by Puducherry (489), Maharashtra (384), Karnataka (318) and Uttar Pradesh (169). The Tamil Nadu and Puducherry numbers are driven by large deemed universities.
Why the date moved
The extension lines up with a Supreme Court requirement: states must filter out students who have already joined a seat before the all-India stray round, so nobody holds two seats. Tamil Nadu’s selection committee, citing the same MCC notice of 14 October, has extended its own round-3 reporting to 3 pm on 16 October, with allotment orders downloadable until 1 pm that day.
What to do before midnight on Friday
- Check the clear vacancy list on mcc.nic.in and mark only seats you can afford and will join. Deemed-university fees are far higher than government fees.
- Register and pay before the 4 pm and 6 pm cut-offs. Do not leave payment to the last hour.
- Fill and lock your choices between 7 pm and 11:55 pm on 16 October.
- Read the counselling bulletin’s rules on forfeiture and joining before you lock. A stray round seat is not one to take casually.
- If you are allotted, report between 19 and 26 October with your original documents.
CareerBox News Desk, reporting on the Medical Counselling Committee (DGHS) notice Ref. U-11011/07/2026-MEC dated 14 October 2026 extending the UG stray round, and its clear vacancy list for the stray vacancy round (MBBS, BDS, B.Sc nursing), UG counselling 2026. Official portal: mcc.nic.in. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.
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