The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), established on March 23, 2012 by the Government of India, is one of the most influential organization in India providing a hassle-free, transparent, and merit-based admission procedure to undergraduate medical and dental courses (MBBS/BDS) in India providing counselling for NEET UG seats across the county.
As a body under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, MCC conducts seat allotment for other levels of medical degrees as well, such as postgraduate (MD/MS/MDS), and super-specialty programs (DM/MCh).
This article provides background of the MCC, its functions, the counselling process, and other significant roles that it plays for a smooth medical admission process in India.
Read Also: NEET UG 2025 Counselling
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History of Medical Counselling Committee
The Medical Counselling Committee was established to consolidate and integrate the counselling for medical and dental programs in India with regard to huge numbers of candidates appearing for medical entrance tests.
It was established to address the need for merit-based and transparent admission while being adherent to huge numbers of government notifications and court directions.
- The commencement of the MCC process was because of Supreme Court’s directions like Anand S. Biji vs. State of Kerala (2012) directing counselling over the internet to MBBS/BDS seats.
- It is an agent of DGHS, which is a delegation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Its scope also incorporated conducting counselling for 15% All India Quota (AIQ) undergraduate program seats, 50% AIQ postgraduate program seats, and 100% super-specialty course seats.
- Seat allocation also comes from government-run colleges, aided colleges, deemed universities, central universities, and some private colleges who are certified by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
- Setting up and running of the committee ensure admissions as per legal guidelines and seat plan chalked out by the state government, hence bestowing medical education to all equally.
Main Functions of MCC
It needs to implement several different things while referring to the counselling and seat allocation process. The notable things are:
- Procedure of Virtual Counselling: The entire counselling process is organized and conducted online-from registration, selection of program and seat allocation, to reporting-so that everything is convenient and within easy reach of candidates across the nation.
- Allotment of Seats: Seats are allotted on a merit according to the ranks of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the pool of reserved quotas and also according to the preference of the candidates.
- Counselling of Different Courses: It conducts counselling for undergraduate (MBBS/BDS), postgraduate (MD/MS/MDS), and super-specialty (DM/MCh) medical courses.
- All India Quota (AIQ) Seats Management: AIQ seat counselling is administered through the MCC and forms a percentage of seats reserved in state-wise and institution-wise seats for candidates from all over the country.
- State Governments and Institution Coordination: Seat matrices, counselling schedules, and guidelines of admission are coordinated with state governments, university authorities, and participating institutions to achieve them.
- Handling Administrative and Legal Matters: It handles judicial cases involving counselling processes as well as ensuring compliance with guidelines of Supreme Court and government.
- Update of Official Website and Communication: It makes frequent changes to its counselling date website, seat matrices, notifications, guidelines, and FAQs so aspirants are updated.
- Quoting Counselling Charges and Arrangements: It sets counselling charges (if applicable) and makes arrangements concerning counselling centers and support services.
MCC’s Counselling Overview
The counseling is made transparent, online, and fair. It is continued almost entirely on the basis of the score in the NEET entrance test, which is a standard entrance test for admission.
Counselling Levels
The counselling is conducted on a few levels depending on the course types namely: undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and super-specialty
Join NEET 2025 Group | Level | Seats Covered | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (UG) | 15% All India Quota seats in government colleges, 100% of AIIMS, BHU, JIPMER, AMU and all central universities seats | Admission through NEET UG rank and preference |
| Postgraduate (PG) | 50% AIQ seats from all the states, 100% from deemed and central universities, ESIC colleges, AFMC | Counselling through NEET PG scores |
| Super-specialty | 100% of the total number of seats in DM/MCh courses in government universities and deemed universities | Depending on scores in NEET SS (Super-specialty) |
Read Also: MCC NEET UG 2025 Round 3 Counselling
NEET-UG Seat Coverage under MCC
MCC counselling for undergraduate programmes provides comprehensive coverage of seats in institutions:
- 15% of All India Quota (AIQ) of all government medical and dental colleges in states/UTs (excluding Jammu & Kashmir).
- 100% seats of AIIMS, JIPMER, BHU, AMU (open quota), and all central universities such as Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and IP University.
- 100% seats in Deemed Universities (as per Supreme Court directions).
- ESIC Insured Persons Quota seats (domicile-free).
- B.Sc. Nursing seats in certain central institutes.
- AFMC (Armed Forces Medical College) – MCC only deals with registration, while AFMC performs own counselling.
Counselling Process Steps
- Registration: Candidates register through internet on the website of MCC after announcement of results of NEET UG.
- Choice Filling: College and course preference is filled by the applicants.
- Allotment of Seats: Seat allotment is given based on NEET rank, seat reserve, and preference.
- Seat Acceptance: The students accept and pay for selected seats within given time durations.
- Reporting: Candidates report to the designated institute for admission.
- Additional Counselling Rounds: Additional rounds or mop-up counselling can also be completed to fill out gaps in vacancies.
NEET UG Counselling Process
MCC conducts counselling for UG courses of MBBS and BDS in the format of rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and a Stray Round
Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Round 1
Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Round 2
Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Round 3
Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) Stray Round
Read Also: MCC NEET UG 2025 Round 3 Update
Supreme Court Milestone Decisions and Alerts Affecting MCC
Some landmark decisions and notifications made by the governments at that time shaped the policies and working of the MCC as we see it today. These judgements were:
| Case/Notification | Description | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Dinesh Kumar vs Motilal Nehru Medical College | Directive to the allocation of 15% UGs and 25% PG seats on all-India level on purely meritorious basis | 1985 |
| Sharwan Kumar vs DGHS | Supreme Court upheld the scheme of 15% AIQ in MBBS/BDS seats | 1992 |
| Anand S. Biji vs State of Kerala | Mandatory online counselling in PG medicine course | 2012 |
| Dar-Us-Slam Educational Trust vs MCI | Conducted common counselling for government and deemed universities’ seats | 2017 |
These orders highlight merit-based seat allotment and have put the continuation and improvement of MCC’s online counselling system.
Reservation and Seat Matrix
MCC does not disobey government rules for reservation standards in seat allotment. Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) are taken into consideration at counselling.
However, Deemed Universities do not follow SC/ST/OBC/EWS reservation. They may only have minority quotas (Jain/Muslim) depending on institutional policy.
Example: Undergraduate AIQ Seat Allocation
| Category | Percentage of Seats Reserved |
|---|---|
| In total | ~50% |
| OBC | ~27% |
| SC | ~15% |
| ST | ~7.5% |
| EWS | ~10% |
| PwD (Overall groups) | 5% (horizontal reservation) |
(Note: Percentages vary slightly with government rule and from year to year.)
| NEET UG Counselling Guide 2025 | |
|---|---|
| State-wise MBBS/BDS Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| MCC NEET UG Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
| AACCC AYUSH NEET Counselling Guide eBook 2025 | 📥 Download |
Read Also: NEET UG Counselling: AIQ Vs. State Quota
Special Requirements for NEET-UG Applicants
- Eligibility: Should pass NEET-UG (min. 50% PCB for UR/EWS, 40% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD).
- Fee Structure: MCC has no control on fees/bonds; candidates are requested to verify from college websites.
- Security Deposit Rules: Will be lost if candidate fails to join after Round 2 or decides to resign after Round 3.
- OCI Candidates: According to 2023 Supreme Court verdict, OCI students are treated on par with Indian citizens for General category seats..
Impact and Importance of MCC
- Transparency: Through online counselling and maintaining all information in the open, MCC has played an important role towards transparency from earlier manual systems.
- Efficiency: Qualified aspirants from all regions across the country participate in counselling with full efficiency without regional restrictions.
- Equity: MCC assures equal implementation of reservation-sensitive and merit-based admissions to institutions and across states.
- Centralized Process: Bridges counselling of more than one institution via a single portal, reduces the administrative burden on colleges and states.
- Capacity Utilization: Utilizes several rounds of counselling with the objective of decongesting empty seats and seat utilization optimization.
Conclusion
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) plays an absolutely central and pivotal role in shaping the medical education landscape of India. Its establishment has encouraged merit-based, sensitive-to-reservation, and transparent seat allotment in thousands of dental and medical seats annually.
From counseling of All India Quota seats to counseling of well-established central and deemed universities, MCC offers opportunities to students all over India an equal chance of pursuing medical education.
Its Online-based, simplified, and hassle-free operations with the help of legal compulsions and coordination of various stakeholders have given MCC the position of a linchpin of the medical admission system of India.
Read Also: MBBS in India vs MBBS Abroad: Which is Right for You?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Free Exit?
If you don’t join your allotted seat in Round 1, you will not be penalized or punished for it.
Can You Resign After Round 3?
No. Once the candidates have joined Round 3, they are not allowed to resign.
What is the All India Quota (AIQ)?
AIQ retains 15% of the government dental and medical seats and 50% of PG seats for candidates all over India, so students from any state can compete for these seats.
When does MCC counselling begin, and how?
MCC counselling begins just after the announcement of NEET results. Candidates fill up online applications, enter choices, attend a maximum of four rounds of counselling, and receive seat allotment based on rank and choice.
Can OCI candidates participate?
Yes, overseas citizens of India (OCI) candidates are treated as Indian citizens for General seats after the 2023 judgement of the Supreme Court of India.
