MBBS vacancies rise to 946 for MCC NEET special stray round counselling as 109 allotted candidates fail to join medical colleges
Chennai: The number of vacant MBBS seats under the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has increased to 946 for the special stray vacancy round, with 109 additional seats becoming vacant after candidates failed to join their allotted colleges during the previous stray round.
Medical Dialogues earlier reported that 837 MBBS seats were vacant after the final round of NEET UG 2026 counselling, with educationists and experts blaming high tuition fees for the situation. According to sources in the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), 837 MBBS seats remain unfilled nationwide, including All India Quota seats. Among them, 824 seats are in deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry alone. The vacancies also include one seat at AIIMS Madurai and 12 at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute in Kolar, Karnataka.
According to the latest vacancy list, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of vacant MBBS seats at 688, followed by Puducherry with 187. Together, the two regions account for 875 of the total 946 vacancies. Karnataka has 25 vacant seats, while Maharashtra has 13. The remaining 33 seats are spread across 15 States and Union Territories.
Also read- 837 MBBS seats remain vacant after MCC NEET stray vacancy round counselling 2026
Of the 946 vacant seats, 920 are in deemed universities. The remaining vacancies include 22 seats under the 15% All India Quota, two under the open-seat quota, and one each under the Delhi University and NRI quotas. The latest list also includes one vacant seat at AIIMS Madurai, while a seat at Government Stanley Medical College remains unfilled.
Meanwhile, several institutions, including deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have reportedly offered concessions on annual tuition fees to attract students. These concessions were mostly discussed privately with students and their families. The annual tuition fees at several deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry range from Rs 23 lakh to Rs 35 lakh.
Speaking to TOI, Officials said the additional vacancies arose after 109 candidates failed to join their allotted colleges during the stray round.
Candidates can complete registration and fee payment for the special stray round until 3 pm on November 4. Choice filling will remain open until November 5, while choice locking will take place from 4 pm on November 4 to 11 am on November 5.
MCC will announce allotments on Nov 7, and those allotted seats must report to their colleges by 5 pm on Nov 16.
Apart from MBBS, 207 BDS seats also remain vacant, including 112 seats in government dental colleges. Government dental colleges in Kerala account for 17 vacancies, followed by Tamil Nadu with 11 and Maharashtra with nine.
Additionally, 66 BSc Nursing seats remain vacant across Delhi, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
