NMC adds 9,783 PG medical seats; total rises to 68,305

NMC adds 9,783 PG medical seats; total rises to 68,305 

07.11.2026  TIMES BENGALURU

New Delhi: India’s postgraduate medical education system is set for a major expansion, with 9,783 seats being added for the 2026-27 academic year. The increase takes the total approved postgraduate (PG) intake to 68,305, up from 58,522, with govt medical colleges accounting for the largest share of the new seats, reports Anuja Jaiswal. 

Of the additional seats, 4,373 have been added in govt medical colleges, 4,148 in private colleges and 1,262 in deemed universities, Dr M K Ramesh, president of the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) medical assessment and rating board (MARB), told TOI. PG medical seats are spread across several states, with five accounting for a little over half of the national intake. Karnataka has the highest number, with 8,998 approved seats for 2026- 27, followed by Maharashtra with 7,682. Uttar Pradesh has 6,983 seats, Tamil Nadu 6,819 and Telangana 4,417. Together, these five states account for 34,899 seats, or around 51% of the total approved PG broad speciality intake of 68,305.

Explaining the increase, Ramesh said a change in the rules has allowed medical colleges to apply for postgraduate courses much earlier than before. Earlier, colleges could apply to start PG courses only after four-and-a-half years of establishment, when their first MBBS batch had passed out. Under the revised process, they can apply from the second year itself. He also pointed to the sharp rise in the number of medical colleges over the past decade, saying more institutions are now applying to start postgraduate courses. “I have given more to govt colleges,” he said, referring to the larger addition in govt institutions.

43% MBBS seats go unallotted in stray round

43% MBBS seats go unallotted in stray round 

07.11.2026

Chennai: A total of 410 of the 946 MBBS seats offered in Medical Counselling Committee’s special stray round had no takers. On Friday, when the committee released the results of special stray round, all 207 seats in BDS and 66 seats in nursing listed in the seat matrix were allotted to students, but MBBS seats in eight medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained. If students allotted seats don’t join colleges, vacancies may go up again. 

All MBBS vacancies were in eight colleges: 181 or 250 sanctioned seats in Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, 91/250 at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute in Puducherry, 77 seats in Shree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, 36 seats in Vinayaka Missions Kirupananda Variyar Medical College in Salem, 17 seats in ACS Medical College and Hospital in Chennai, and six seats in SRM Medical College and Research Institute. One seat each in Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute and Savitha Medical College and Hospital were vacant. 

At the end of the previous stray round, 837 MBBS seats were unallotted. High fees appear to be the main reason seats at deemed universities remain empty. Parents said many institutions, including some in Karnataka and TN, offered annual fee concessions, mostly in private discussions with students and their families. “The discounts were not announced publicly, so students who didn’t get them may have turned down the seats,” said R Kaliarasan, a NEET coach. Times News Network

‘No salary discrimination must be there between clinical & non-clinical branch residents’

No salary discrimination must be there between clinical & non-clinical branch residents’ 

04.11.2026. TIMES CHENNAI

The report was filed after detailed deliberations and consideration of suggestions made by senior advocate Maninder Singh, who is assisting Supreme Court as amicus curiae. 

“NMC is in process of issuing new regulations, which are yet to be finalised wherein only rank-based system for NEET PG & SS counselling will be adopted; no percentile marks will be declared in results; only ranks will be given to the candidates. 

A letter dated Oct 1 has been written by secretary, NMC to DGHS informing proposal for changing the existing percentile-based system to a rank-based merit system for NEET-PG and NEET-SS which is under consideration by the commission. 

The commission has accorded in-principle approval for the proposed change with a view to address the issues arising from the existing system,” the report said. On reduction of the minimum qualification, the report said, “The sanctity of NEET examinations should be maintained and minimum qualifying standards in postgraduate medical education is not diluted to the extent of permitting candidates with grossly inadequate or negative performance to become eligible for admission”. 

It also suggested that there should be no salary discrimination between residents of clinical and non-clinical branches and incentives should be provided to doctors to work in rural areas. SC is examining various petitions challenging Centre’s decision to drastically reduce the qualifying cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025. Under the revised criteria, the qualifying score for general category was reduced from 276 to 103, while that for the SC/ST/OBC categories was brought down from 235 to -40.

TN & Pondy account for 93% of vacant MBBS seats; 97% in self-financed quota ‘Colleges Must Reduce Fees To Fill Vacancies’

TN & Pondy account for 93% of vacant MBBS seats; 97% in self-financed quota ‘Colleges Must Reduce Fees To Fill Vacancies’

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com  04.11.2026

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry account for nearly 93% of the 946 MBBS seats listed in the special stray vacancy round of NEET-UG counselling 2026. The state and Union territory together have 875 vacancies, with Tamil Nadu accounting for 688 and Puducherry, 187. 

Of the 946 vacancies, 920 (over 97%) are under the self-financed merit seat quota, with just 26 falling under other categories, including all India, open seat, Delhi University and nonresident Indian quotas. 

Karnataka has 25 vacancies and Maharashtra, 13; followed by Telangana, 5; Gujarat, 4; Bihar, Uttarakhand and West Bengal (3 each), and five other states with two vacancies each. 

Goa, Haryana, Keralam, Meghalaya and Sikkim have one vacancy each. 

A senior official in health ministry told TOI that high fees were the main reason for the vacancies, with students from north India also reluctant to travel to the South because of language and cultural differences. “The South has a longer history of medical education and more established medical colleges, while many institutions in the North have come up in recent years.

With the number of seats rising, particularly in private colleges, and govt options also expanding, students are increasingly unwilling to take up expensive private seats. Colleges are now offering fee concessions, in some cases of 40-50%. Rather than lowering MBBS qualifying percentile, colleges should reduce fees to fill vacant seats,” the official said. 

The official also recalled an earlier advisory asking private medical colleges to charge govt rates for 50% of their seats but said it could not be implemented as the matter went to court. Just a few colleges account for a large share of the vacancies. 

Tamil Nadu’s Shri Sathya Sai Medical College has 188 seats, followed by Meenakshi Medical College with 117. In Puducherry, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College has 95 and Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences 88, while Tamil Nadu’s Sree Balaji Medical College has 82 vacancies.  

The fifth round of BDS counselling has 207 vacancies, led by Maharashtra, 54; Karnataka, 27, and Tamil Nadu, 25. Of these, 112 are under the all India quota and 71 under the NRI quota, while 11 are self-financed merit seats. The official attributed the vacancies to limited job prospects and a rapid expansion of dental colleges. 

Many students view BDS as a basic degree and opt for an MBA or hospital management course instead, the official said, adding that some colleges struggle to fill even half their seats. The BDS qualifying percentile was lowered once around three to four years ago, but no similar relaxation has been made for MBBS. 

The matrix also lists 66 BSc Nursing vacancies, including 38 in Delhi, 17 in Karnataka and 11 in Uttar Pradesh. This takes the total number of vacancies across MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses to 1,219.

Over 100 EWS candidates allotted open PG seats in pvt colleges with fees up to 2cr

Over 100 EWS candidates allotted open PG seats in pvt colleges with fees up to 2cr

Anuja.Jaiswal@timesofindia.com 31.10.2026

New Delhi: More than 100 candidates from the economically weaker section (EWS) category have been allotted postgraduate medical seats in the open category under the self financed quota in private colleges, where tuition fee for some courses can be up to Rs 2.1 crore over three years. 

The allotments were made in the first round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling, according to the seat allotment list. The list records the candidates’ category as EWS while the allotted seat category was open and the quota was mentioned self-financed merit seat. Among those allotted seats was a candidate with NEET-PG rank of 79,396, who secured MS obstetrics and gynaecology at Padmashree Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai, where the three-year tuition is around Rs 2 crore. 

Another candidate, ranked 71,263, was allotted MD radio-diagnosis at Raja Rajeswari Medical College, Bengaluru, where the three year tuition is around Rs 1.8 crore. Candidates had listed these colleges and courses in their counselling choices and were allotted seats based on their preferences and rank. They can retain the seat, seek an upgrade or exit.

At least 2K MBBS seats vacant, regn from Nov 2

At least 2K MBBS seats vacant, regn from Nov 2 

Chennai: With at least 2,000 MBBS seats remaining vacant, Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will hold a special stray vacancy round for MBBS admissions and a fifth round for BDS and BSc Nursing, as part of NEET-UG counselling 2026. 

Registration opens on Nov 2. Candidates can register and pay fees from 10am on Nov 2 until 6 pm on Nov 4. Registration closes at 3pm on Nov 4, according to the schedule issued under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). 

Choice filling will run from Nov 2 to 11am on Nov 5. Choice locking will be available from 4pm on Nov 4 until 11am on Nov 5, as per server time. MCC will process seat allotment on Nov 5 and 6 and publish the result on Nov 7. Allotted candidates must report at their colleges between Nov 7 and 16. The reporting deadline on the last day is 5pm, as per server time. The whole round runs for about two weeks, from registration to the end of reporting. Times News Network nov 4 deadline

Gen med tops NEET-PG choices among first 100

Gen med tops NEET-PG choices among first 100 

28.10.2026 TIMES AHAMEDABAD 

New Delhi: General medicine accounted for more allotments than radiodiagnosis among top entries in the first round of NEET-PG 2026 counselling, highlighting the competing career attractions of the two sought-after PG specialties, reports Anuja Jaiswal. 

An analysis of Medical Counselling Committee’s Round 1 allotment list shows 51 allotments in general medicine as against 28 in radiodiagnosis among the first 100 entries. 

Dermatology was a distant third with six allotments, while paediatrics and general surgery had three each. Doctors say the choices reflect different career priorities. Radiology attracts candidates because of its good work-life balance

TN yet to release PG medical rank list even as nat’l counselling moves ahead

TN yet to release PG medical rank list even as nat’l counselling moves ahead 

28.10.2026 TIMES CHENNAI

Chennai: The state selection committee has not yet published the provisional rank list for postgraduate medical degree and diploma admissions, although the Centre’s Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has completed the first round of all-India counselling. MCC completed Round 1 on Oct 24, and candidates have until Nov 2 to join their allotted colleges. 

States were scheduled to hold their first round between Oct 21 and Nov 2, with Nov 10 as the last date for joining. NEET PG 2026 was held on Aug 30, and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences declared the results on Sept 24. 

The state committee has published the prospectus and closed applications for PG degree and diploma courses. “We are scrutinising more than 12,000 applications. Every application is verified. The grievance portal is now open for correction and reverification. The rank list will be released once this process is complete. It will take a few days,” said selection committee secretary Dr V Lokanayaki. 

If the rank list is released on Oct 29, candidates will have a few days to lock their options on the portal, and the process will be completed by Nov 2, officials said. The delay has left candidates uncertain. Those with all-India seats must decide whether to join before they know their state rank. “In PG, there is preference for course and institution. Candidates need time to decide what they want to choose because the course decides what they will do for the rest of their lives,” said a govt doctor waiting for admission.

Sky-high fees leave 836 MBBS seats empty in final counselling round

Sky-high fees leave 836 MBBS seats empty in final counselling round

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 21.10.2026

Chennai: Deemed universities in TN and Puducherry priced out 824 of their MBBS seats, which stayed empty in final round of all-India counselling. With annual fee ranging from 23 lakh to 35 lakh, these seats went unfilled although 11 lakh candidates cleared NEET-2026 qualifying cut-off. The seats will stay vacant as the admission process is over. Unless, of course, the govt decides to allow a mop-up round. Medical Counselling Committee holds counselling for 15% of seats in state govt medical colleges and for all seats in central institutions and deemed universities. 

This year, its stray round opened with 3,426 MBBS vacancies, including 1,171 all-India quota seats. Of these, 837 went unallotted. One is at AIIMS Madurai, and 12 are at Chettinad Institute in Kolar, Karnataka. The remaining 824 are in 14 deemed universities in TN and Puducherry. 

Four colleges, each with 250 MBBS seats, account for most empty seats. Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute in Chennai tops with 188 vacant — 75%. Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute in Kancheepuram has 117 (47%), Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute in Puducherry has 92 (37%), and Sree Balaji Medical College, Chromepet has 82 (33%). SRM Medical College and Research Institute, Saveetha Medical College and Chettinad Medical College & Research Institute also have vacancies. 

Deemed universities in TN and Puducherry charge 23 lakh to 35L a year. Elsewhere in India, the average is 22.68L. In Maharashtra’s deemed universities, where all seats are filled, the average fee is 24.58 lakh. 

In Karnataka’s, it is 20.85 lakh. Over a 4.5-year course, the gap between TN and Puducherry and rest of India comes to about 21L, consultants say. “Fee-hungry institutions must take the blame,” said DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson. “It’s time Union ministry caps fees on deemed universities. Their fees range from 18 lakh to 35 lakh across India. Without a cap on tuition, institutions raise fees every year. It’s profiteering.” Some high-fee colleges managed to fill their seats, but their closing ranks fell sharply. 

At Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, the cut-off rank dropped from 7.3 lakh to 10.68 lakh. “Seats in this college usually fill by the third round. This year, students with minimum scores got in at the stray round. Those with better marks haven’t opted  because they can’t pay this fee. It defeats the spirit of NEET,” said Manickavel Arumugam, who counsels students on medical admissions.

CORRIGENDUM Subject: Corrigendum regarding NRI documents to be submitted by candidates for Round-1 of PG Counselling 2026

Ref. U-12021/ 09/2026-MEC GOVERNMENT OF INDIA 

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF HEALTH SERVICES , NEW DELHI-110108 

Dated: 14.10.2026 

CORRIGENDUM Subject: Corrigendum regarding NRI documents to be submitted by candidates for Round-1 of PG Counselling 2026 

Kind Attention Candidates: Reference is made to the NRI Chapter of PG Information Bulletin regarding documents to be submitted for claim of NRI seat. In this regard, it is informed that in addition to documents stated in the NRI chapter, candidates belonging to Category-I (NRI Candidate/ Parents/ Real Brother/ Real Sister) and Category IV (Indian to NRI ) are required to submit Valid Passport of Parents/ Real Brother/ Real Sister/ Sponsor for registration and verification. 

Notice posted on: 14.10.2026