MCC Counselling 2026: Step-by-Step Guide to Registering for AIQ Seats

What Is MCC Counselling?

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), manages admission to All India Quota seats at all government medical colleges and 100% of seats at centrally funded institutions (AIIMS, JIPMER, AFMC, ESIC medical colleges and others). MCC counselling for MBBS 2026 runs in three main rounds plus a stray vacancy round.

Round 1 Registration

In a normal year, Round 1 opens within four to five weeks of NEET-UG results being declared. Because the 2026 exam cycle was disrupted by the re-exam, results and Round 1 registration are both running well behind that usual timeline — expect Round 1 to open only after MCC formally announces its 2026 schedule following the July results. You must visit mcc.nic.in and complete:

• New registration using your NEET-UG 2026 roll number and date of birth

• Upload of: NEET admit card, NEET scorecard, Class 10 certificate (age proof), Class 12 marksheet, category certificate if applicable, and a recent passport photograph

• Payment of a non-refundable registration fee of ₹1,000 (UR/EWS) or ₹500 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD) — OBC candidates pay the lower fee alongside SC/ST/PwD, not the general-category rate

Security Deposit Payment

After registration, you must pay a refundable security deposit before you can participate in choice filling. The deposit is ₹10,000 for UR/EWS candidates and ₹5,000 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates (deemed university counselling has a separate, much higher deposit). This deposit is adjusted against your first-year college fee if you accept an allotment, or refunded if you are not allotted or resign during the reporting window. Always confirm the current-year amounts in MCC's official information bulletin, as these are revised periodically.

Choice Filling Strategy

• Fill as many choices as possible — there is no penalty for adding more colleges. Aim for 30–50 choices if your rank allows

• Order choices by genuine preference, not cut-off from previous years alone — cut-offs shift each round

• Include AIIMS campuses if your rank is in the top 5,000 nationally

• RIMS Imphal (all 100 seats are AIQ) and NEIGRIHMS Shillong (INI-CET, separate process) are important options for NE students

• Do not select colleges you will not join — accepting and then vacating wastes a seat and may invite penalties

Seat Allotment and Reporting

MCC publishes allotment results approximately 10 days after the choice-fill window closes. On allotment day you have three options: (1) Accept and freeze — join this college, do not participate in further rounds; (2) Upgrade — accept provisionally and participate in Round 2 hoping for a better college, but you must still physically report to the allotted college within the reporting window (typically 3 days) to retain your candidature; (3) Do not respond — lose your allotment and seat deposit.

Mop-Up Round and Stray Vacancy Round

After Round 2, MCC conducts a mop-up round for remaining vacant AIQ seats. The stray vacancy round follows, filling any seats left vacant after mop-up. These later rounds see less competition but offer fewer choices. Importantly, allotments in the stray vacancy round are final — no upgrades are possible.