Maha NEET UG 2026: CET cell announces 3 MBBS, BDS stray vacancy rounds; first allotment on Oct 19

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has revised the schedule for the online stray vacancy rounds of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate 2026 counselling for MBBS and BDS courses under Group A for the 2026-27 academic year. The revised schedule includes three rounds to fill vacant seats in all government, corporation, government-aided, private unaided and minority colleges.

The revision follows Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) announcement of the All India Quota (AIQ) stray vacancy schedule. The AIQ selection list will be published on October 19, and the last date of joining an allotted seat is October 26.

The CET Cell has scheduled the first Maharashtra state counselling stray vacancy selection list for October 19, the second for October 22 and the third for October 25. Candidates allotted seats must complete physical reporting and admission formalities within the prescribed deadlines. The final joining date is October 26, 2027.

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NEET UG 2026 Maharashtra counselling revised schedule

Check stray vacancy round dates, joining deadlines

NEET UG 2026: Eligibility for Maharashtra stray vacancy rounds

According to the notice, candidates must meet the following conditions to participate in the state CET Cell's online stray vacancy rounds:

• Candidates must have qualified NEET UG 2026 and previously registered for the counselling process and filled in their online preferences.
• Candidates must not have been allotted a seat up to CAP Round 3.
• Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements specified in Clause 4 of the information brochure.

Candidates who have joined and retained a seat in state counselling up to Round 3, including those freshly allotted a seat in Round 3, are not eligible. Candidates holding a seat through the All India Quota counselling process up to Round 3 are also ineligible. Those allotted a seat in the first state stray vacancy round cannot participate in subsequent stray vacancy rounds.

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Fresh choice filling mandatory

The CET Cell has clarified that fresh registrations will not be opened for the online stray vacancy rounds. Eligible candidates must fill in fresh choices for each round, and preferences submitted during CAP Round 3 will be treated as void.

Choices submitted for stray vacancy round 1 will also become invalid for round 2, while preferences submitted during the first and second stray vacancy rounds will not carry forward to round 3.

Candidates can edit their preferences multiple times within the prescribed choice-filling window. Admission to a seat allotted through the online stray vacancy rounds is mandatory, the CET Cell said. Candidates should therefore exercise caution while filling in their preferences.

Candidates allotted seats must report physically to the allotted college with all original documents and the required fees within the specified joining period. The notice permits fee payment through demand draft (DD) or NEFT/RTGS. The last date to resign from an allotted seat without penalty is October 21, until 5:30 pm.

The CET Cell has also directed participating institutions and colleges to treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days to ensure that counselling is completed within the limited time available.