The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) was established on March 23, 2012, by the Government of India. It is one of the most important authorities responsible for conducting a transparent, merit-based, and streamlined admission process for undergraduate medical and dental courses (MBBS/BDS) across India through NEET UG counselling.
Operating under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MCC also manages counselling and seat allotment for postgraduate (MD/MS/MDS) and super-specialty courses (DM/MCh).
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the MCC, including its background, key functions, counselling process, and its role in ensuring a smooth and efficient medical admission system in India.
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History of Medical Counselling Committee
The Medical Counselling Committee was established to consolidate and integrate counselling for medical and dental programs in India, given the huge number of candidates appearing for medical entrance tests.
It was set up to address the need for merit-based, transparent admissions while adhering to government notifications and court directions. The MCC process began following Supreme Court directions – notably Anand S. Biji vs. State of Kerala (2012), which mandated online counselling for MBBS/BDS seats. MCC functions as an agent of DGHS, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
MCC’s scope covers counselling for:
- 15% All India Quota (AIQ) undergraduate seats
- 50% AIQ postgraduate seats
- 100% of super-specialty course seats
Note: The remaining 85% of undergraduate seats – state-quota and private-college seats – are handled separately by individual state/UT counselling authorities, not by MCC.
Seat allocation covers government-run colleges, aided colleges, deemed universities, central universities, and private colleges certified by the National Medical Commission (NMC). Running the committee centrally ensures admissions follow legal guidelines and the seat plan set by state governments, extending medical education access equally across the country.
A note on Jammu & Kashmir: Candidates belonging to Jammu & Kashmir who are otherwise eligible can apply for All India (MCC) NEET counselling – they are not excluded from AIQ counselling.
MCC NEET UG Counselling Registration Fee 2026
Candidates must pay a non-refundable registration fee along with a refundable security deposit while registering for MCC NEET UG Counselling. The security deposit is refunded as per MCC’s counselling rules if the candidate remains eligible for a refund:
| Counselling Type | Category | Registration Fee (Non-Refundable) | Security Deposit (Refundable) | Total Fee |
| 15% AIQ / Central Universities / AIIMS / JIPMER / BHU / AMU / ESIC / AFMC | General / EWS | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹11,000 |
| SC / ST / OBC / PwD | ₹500 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,500 | |
| Deemed Universities | All Categories | ₹5,000 | ₹2,00,000 | ₹2,05,000 |
MCC NEET UG Counselling Round 1 Schedule
Check the MCC NEET UG Counselling Schedule for round 1 dates, allotment, and reporting:
| Event | Dates (2026) |
| Verification of Seat Matrix by Institutes | August 4, 2026 |
| Registration & Fee Payment | August 5 – August 12, 2026 (up to 3:00 PM) |
| Choice Filling | August 6 – August 13, 2026 |
| Choice Locking | August 12 – August 13, 2026 |
| Seat Processing | August 13 – August 16, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Result | August 17, 2026 |
| Reporting to Allotted College | 20th Aug. to 25th Aug, 2026 |
MCC NEET UG Counselling Round 2 Schedule
Check the MCC NEET UG Counselling Schedule for Round 2 dates, allotment, and reporting:
| Event | Dates (2026) |
| Verification of Seat Matrix by Institutes | August 24, 2026 |
| Registration & Fee Payment | August 25 – August 29, 2026 |
| Choice Filling & Locking | August 25 – August 30, 2026 |
| Seat Processing | August 31 – September 1, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Result | September 2, 2026 |
| Reporting to Allotted College | September 3 – September 8, 2026 |
MCC NEET UG Counselling Round 3 Schedule
Check the MCC NEET UG Counselling Schedule for round 3 dates, allotment, and reporting:
| Event | Dates (2026) |
| Verification of Seat Matrix by Institutes | September 10, 2026 |
| Registration & Fee Payment | September 11 – September 15, 2026 |
| Choice Filling & Locking | September 11 – September 16, 2026 |
| Seat Processing | September 16 – September 17, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Result | September 18, 2026 |
| Reporting to Allotted College | September 19 – September 26, 2026 |
MCC NEET UG Counselling Online Stray Vacancy Schedule
Check the MCC NEET UG Counselling Online Stray Vacancy Round for key counselling dates and seat allotment:
| Event | Dates (2026) |
| Verification of Seat Matrix by Institutes | September 27, 2026 |
| Registration & Fee Payment | September 28 – September 30, 2026 |
| Choice Filling & Locking | September 28 – September 30, 2026 |
| Seat Processing | October 1 – October 2, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Result | October 3, 2026 |
| Reporting to Allotted College | October 4 – October 10, 2026 |
NEET UG 2026 AIQ & State Counselling Dates
Complete round-wise dates for NEET UG 2026 counselling, seat allotment, joining, and academic session start under AIQ and State Quota:
| S.No. | Stage | AIQ / Deemed & Central Universities | State Quota |
| 1 | Round 1 Counselling | 4 Aug – 17 Aug 2026 | 13 Aug – 22 Aug 2026 |
| — | Verification of Joined Candidates | 24 Aug 2026 | 29 Aug 2026 |
| 2 | Last Date of Joining (Round 1) | 22 Aug 2026 | 28 Aug 2026 |
| 3 | Round 2 Counselling | 24 Aug – 2 Sept 2026 | 31 Aug – 8 Sept 2026 |
| — | Verification of Joined Candidates | 9 Sept 2026 | 15 Sept 2026 |
| 4 | Last Date of Joining (Round 2) | 8 Sept 2026 | 14 Sept 2026 |
| 5 | Round 3 Counselling | 10 Sept – 18 Sept 2026 | 16 Sept – 26 Sept 2026 |
| — | Verification of Joined Candidates | 27 Sept 2026 | 2 Oct 2026 |
| 6 | Last Date of Joining (Round 3) | 26 Sept 2026 | 1 Oct 2026 |
| 7 | Stray Vacancy Round | 28 Sept – 3 Oct 2026 (data shared 3 Oct) | 3 Oct – 5 Oct 2026 |
| 8 | Last Date of Joining (Stray) | 10 Oct 2026 | 10 Oct 2026 |
| 9 | Commencement of Academic Session (UG) | 8 Sept 2026 | 8 Sept 2026 |
MCC NEET UG 2026 Information Bulletin PDF
Download the MCC NEET UG 2026 Information Bulletin PDF for complete counselling details and guidelines:
Main Functions of MCC
Virtual Counselling Process: Registration, choice filling, seat allotment, and reporting are all conducted online, making the process accessible to candidates nationwide.
Seat Allotment: Seats are allotted purely on merit – based on NEET rank, reserved category quotas, and the candidate’s own preference order.
Multi-Level Counselling: MCC conducts counselling for undergraduate (MBBS/BDS), postgraduate (MD/MS/MDS), and super-specialty (DM/MCh) courses.
AIQ Seat Management: MCC administers All India Quota counselling across states and institutions.
Coordination: MCC works with state governments, universities, and colleges on seat matrices, schedules, and admission guidelines.
Legal Compliance: MCC handles litigation related to counselling and follows Supreme Court/government directives (MCC itself was set up under Supreme Court orders).
Website & Communication: Regular updates to schedules, seat matrices, and FAQs on mcc.nic.in.
Logistics: Sets counselling fees and manages counselling center arrangements.
Counselling Levels & Seat Coverage
| Level | Seats Covered | Basis |
| UG (MBBS/BDS) | 15% AIQ in govt. colleges; 100% of AIIMS, JIPMER, BHU, AMU, Delhi University, deemed universities | NEET UG rank |
| PG (MD/MS/MDS) | 50% AIQ from states; 100% from deemed/central universities, ESIC, AFMC | NEET PG scores |
| Super-specialty (DM/MCh) | 100% of seats in govt./deemed universities | NEET SS scores |
A couple of corrections to your draft:
- Your text says AIQ excludes “Jammu & Kashmir” – J&K candidates can actually apply for MCC/All India counselling; this exclusion isn’t accurate as stated. Candidates who belong to Jammu and Kashmir and are eligible can apply for All India NEET counselling. Careers360
- The remaining state-quota and private-college seats (the 85% not covered by AIQ) are handled separately by state/UT counselling authorities, not by MCC – worth stating explicitly since your draft focuses only on MCC’s share. NEET UG Guidance
- Current AIQ reservation structure for 2026: SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10%, and a 5% horizontal quota for PwBD – good to include if you want reservation detail, since deemed universities don’t follow this reservation structure. Edunews
Counselling Process Steps
- Registration – online, after NEET results
- Choice Filling – candidates rank college/course preferences
- Seat Allotment – based on rank, quota, and preference
- Acceptance/Payment – within a fixed window
- Reporting – candidate joins the allotted institute
- Mop-Up/Stray Vacancy Rounds – to fill remaining seats
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 2026 Round 3 Update
Read Also: NEET UG 2026 Counselling
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% UG and 25% PG seats on an all-India level on a 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 led to the continuation and improvement of MCC’s online counselling system.
MCC NEET UG Counselling 2026 NRI Eligibility Verification Guidelines
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 rules and from year to year.)
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 over fees/bonds; candidates are requested to verify from college websites.
- Security Deposit Rules: Will be lost if the candidate fails to join after Round 2 or decides to resign after Round 3.
- OCI Candidates: According to the 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 in promoting transparency compared to 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, reducing the administrative burden on colleges and states.
- Capacity Utilization: Utilizes several rounds of counselling with the objective of decongesting empty seats and optimizing seat utilization.
Read Also: MBBS in India vs MBBS Abroad: Which is Right for You?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)?
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is the central authority responsible for conducting online counselling for AIQ, Deemed Universities, Central Universities, AIIMS, JIPMER, and other participating institutes based on NEET UG and NEET PG scores.
What courses are covered under MCC counselling?
MCC conducts counselling for MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing, and various postgraduate medical and dental courses under the All India Quota and participating institutions.
How many rounds are conducted in MCC NEET UG counselling?
MCC generally conducts Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 (or Mop-Up Round), and a Stray Vacancy Round, depending on seat availability.
Is registration required for every counselling round?
Fresh registration is usually required only for new participants joining later rounds. Candidates already registered may only need to fill fresh choices, depending on MCC guidelines for that year.
What documents are required during MCC counselling?
Candidates typically need the NEET scorecard, admit card, Class 10 & 12 certificates, ID proof, category certificate (if applicable), PwD certificate (if applicable), and other documents specified by MCC during counselling.
