NEET UG 2026: UCMS flags counselling delay, seeks new MBBS academic session dates

The University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Delhi has urged the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to announce a revised commencement date for the MBBS academic session 2026-27, taking into account the complete NEET UG counselling and joining schedule. NEET UG Counselling 2026 LIVE.

The UCMS has also flagged several problems arising from the delay in conducting the NEET UG 2026 counselling for MBBS admissions by the MCC.

Satendra Singh, chairperson, foundation course, UCMS, and GTB Hospital, has written a letter, seeking clarification from the MCC or National Medical Commission (NMC), permitting medical colleges to commence the foundation course and phase 1 MBBS teaching after completion of the relevant counseling and admission process.

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'Medical colleges facing difficulties in planning MBBS foundation course'

Emphasising the practical difficulties being faced by medical colleges across the country in planning the commencement of the MBBS classes, UCMS said: “The commencement of the academic session was originally scheduled for 8 September 2026. However, as per the revised counselling schedule, Round 2 counselling is scheduled during 3–11 September 2026, with the last date for joining Round 2 extending to 18 September 2026.”

Subsequent rounds of counselling are scheduled thereafter, with the stray vacancy round until October 2026, the letter read.

“This creates a significant practical difficulty for medical colleges if 8 September 2026 continues to be treated as the commencement date,” it added.

Moreover, medical institutions are required to plan and publish their academic schedule, including the 15-day foundation course and the phase 1 MBBS teaching timetable, on their institutional website before commencement of the academic session, it said.

“This also includes one out of the two NMC mandated Parent-Faculty Interaction in the first year. Preparation of these schedules requires the college to know the likely strength and composition of the admitted batch, allocate teaching groups, faculty, laboratories, lecture theatres, clinical/skills teaching resources and other facilities, and coordinate multiple departments,” the UCMS’s letter stated.

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MBBS students may miss mandatory orientation due to NEET counselling delay : UCMS

Furthermore, if the NEET UG 2026 counselling and admission continue beyond the proposed commencement date, colleges will “inevitably” face a situation where students are still being allotted seats and joining the institution after the academic session and foundation course have officially commenced, it said.

Due to the delay in the NEET UG 2026 counselling and admission process, students may miss the mandatory orientation and foundational activities, parents could skip the chance to interact with the faculty, there will be repeated revision of student batches, teaching groups and timetables, the university said.

The postponement of the MBBS admission may also invite difficulties in finalising faculty and departmental teaching schedules, challenges in arranging infrastructure, laboratories, skills training and other resources, practical difficulties in uploading a definitive timetable on the institutional website before commencement of the academic year and inequity between students admitted in earlier and later rounds of counselling, it added.

Therefore, the UCMS has asked MCC or the NMC to issue a clear clarification permitting medical colleges to commence the Foundation Course and Phase I teaching after completion of the relevant counselling/admission process, with an appropriate uniform revised academic calendar.