MBBS counselling impacted after MCC adds new seats midway

MBBS counselling impacted after MCC adds new seats midway

 Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 27.10.2025

TIMES EDUCATION   BANGALURU

Addition of 11,000 MBBS seats and introduction of new medical colleges midway has impacted the ongoing NEET UG 2025-26 counselling process adding to the troubles of aspirants. While the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has allowed seat upgrade options till the third round since last year (2024-25), the introduction of seats midway has led to disruption in seat allotment. Candidates who secured seats in the first two rounds felt cheated after new seats were opened in top medical colleges, as they already paid fees and reported to their allotted colleges. Since new seats have been added in a few AIIMS and govt medical colleges, candidates who had to settle for lesser-known colleges are clearly frustrated. 

Since many candidates did not choose the upgrade option, they have now missed the chance to compete for the newly added seats. The untimely addition of seats has created unequal opportunities for several talented candidates. Delhi-based counselling expert, Ashish Sinha, says, “NMC delayed the process of inspections and granting approvals to medical colleges. 

By the time new seats were added, aspirants had already joined elsewhere and could not participate in further rounds, as they did not select the upgrade option during the first round of counselling. If seats were added well before the counselling, the cut-off would not look elevated. High ranking students would have thoughtfully opted for the seat in a prominent college, based on their NEET scores.” Candidates who chose upgrade option will have to face significant financial strain as most of them have paid the fee, which is not fully refundable. Several medical colleges, such as MGM Medical College, Panvel, Maharashtra, charge up to Rs 50,000 as are location fee if a candidate decides to transfer to another institution, adds Sinha. 

According to the new MCC rules, aspirants can opt out of locking their seats until round III, which is mandatory during the stray vacancy phase. Dr B Srinivas, member secretary, MCC, says, “The decision to allow upgrade option in the third round was made to accommodate delayed seat approvals by NMC and ensure fair opportunities for all candidates. We knew that seat allotments were getting delayed repeatedly, so we consciously introduced upgradation in the third round this year.” 

The move benefits students seeking government medical colleges after initially being allotted private colleges. “If a student got a private medical seat earlier but now prefers a government college, with the help of this option, they can move to the college of their choice. The vacated seat will automatically be allotted to another candidate, ensuring that all available seats are filled. This system is expected to create a dynamic flow of seat reallocation, giving more students the chance to secure better placements,” Dr Srinivas adds.

However, aspirants appearing for the state counselling face difficulty in switching from state colleges to the colleges offering All India Quota (AIQ) seats. “State counselling bodies impose strict regulations that prevent students from switching to MCC seats after Round II. In one case, during the 2025-26 counselling cycle, an aspirant who had secured admission in Karnataka paid Rs 44 lakh as annual fees, but he was unable to move to DY Patil Medical College, Pune, in Round III. New seats introduced in Round III under MCC significantly lowered the cut-off for DY Patil, Pune. Had all seats been released at once, the student would likely have secured admission there in Round II. Rules stipulate that if an aspirant surrenders a seat after Round II, the entire first-year fee is forfeited—locking them into their initial choice,” says Sinha.