NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is an entrance exam for medical courses in India. NEET counselling is the process through which students who have qualified NEET are allocated seats. Here’s an overview of how it generally works:

Registration: After NEET results are announced, candidates need to register for counselling on the official counselling website, which is usually managed by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) or respective state counselling authorities.

Seat Allotment: Based on the choices filled, the NEET rank of the candidate, and the availability of seats, allotment is done in multiple rounds. There are generally several rounds of seat allotment, including a mop-up round if necessary.

Documents Required: Typical documents required include NEET scorecard, rank letter, class 10 and 12 certificates, passport-sized photographs, and other identification proofs.

Choice Filling and Locking: Once registered, candidates can fill in their preferred choices of colleges and courses. This includes both government and private institutions. After filling out the choices, candidates must lock them to confirm their preferences.

Reporting to College: After being allotted a seat, candidates need to report to the respective college within the stipulated time frame for document verification and admission formalities. They must submit all required documents and pay the admission fees to confirm their seat.

Counselling Rounds: If candidates are not allotted a seat in the initial rounds, they can participate in subsequent rounds. Each round may have specific rules and timelines.

State vs. Central Counselling: NEET counselling is conducted in two main categories: central counselling (for central government institutions) and state counselling (for state government institutions). Candidates need to participate in both if they wish to be considered for both types of institutions.

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC)

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has been designated as the authority to manage the counselling process for NEET UG, which is the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical courses. The dates for the NEET counselling in will be updated on this platform once announced.

The MCC’s NEET counselling for will be conducted for 15% of All India Quota (AIQ) seats in government colleges, as well as 100% of seats in deemed/central universities, ESIC/AFMS, AIIMS, JIPMER, and BSc Nursing programs, based on the NEET exam scores. The NEET AIQ counselling process for will be divided into four rounds: round 1, round 2, mop-up, and stray vacancy.

NEET UG counselling: Overview

Here are some important details regarding the factors involved in medical admissions in India:

• Admissions to medical courses through the All India Quota (AIQ) are conducted by the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) for the National Medical Council, while admissions through the State Quota are managed by respective state authorities.
• The counselling website for AIQ is MCC.nic.in, and the details for State Quota are given in the table below.
• The seat intake for AIQ includes 15% of government seats, 100% of Deemed and Central University seats, ESIC, AFMC, AIIMS, and JIPMER seats. For State Quota, it includes 85% of government seats and 100% of private seats in the state.

Be familiar with the NEET counselling scheme for 15% AIQ

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is responsible for conducting four rounds of counselling for MBBS admissions in India, namely AIQ Round 1, AIQ Round 2, AIQ Mop-up round, and stray vacancy round. Eligibility for these rounds is based on NEET 2023 results, except for candidates from the Union Territory of J&K. Any vacant seats after AIQ Round 2 will be returned to the respective states.

The AIQ for NEET counselling in will include the following:

The following categories of medical seats fall under the All India Quota:

• 15% of MBBS/BDS seats of states
• 100% of MBBS/BDS seats of Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
• 100% of MBBS seats of All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across India
• All India Quota seats of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry/Karaikal
• All India Quota seats of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Delhi University (DU), Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC), and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS)
• All India Quota seats of Faculty of Dentistry at Jamia Milia Islamia
• All India Quota seats of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)

AIIMS and JIPMER:

• 100% of seats for the 18 AIIMS and JIPMER will be allotted through All India Quota (AIQ) in four rounds of counselling – Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round, and Stray Vacancy Round.
• Three rounds of counselling will be conducted online by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) – Round 1, Round 2, and Mop-Up Round.
• The Stray Vacancy round for AIIMS and JIPMER will be conducted by the respective institutes

ESIC:

• 15% of seats for Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will be allotted through AIQ in Round 1 and Round 2 of counselling.
• The remaining 85% of seats will be treated as state quota seats and will be available in the Mop-Up Round for all candidates.

Central University/Institute:

• Four rounds of NEET counselling – Round 1, Round 2, Mop-Up Round, and Stray Vacancy Round – will be conducted for central university/institute seats.
• Three rounds of counselling will be conducted online by MCC – Round 1, Round 2, and Mop-Up Round.
• The Stray Vacancy round for central university/institute seats will be conducted by the respective institutions.

About NEET UG Counselling

The MCC conducts NEET counselling to determine admissions to MBBS/BDS courses in AIQ, deemed universities, and ESIC/AFMS colleges in India based on NEET results. There are two types of NTA NEET counselling: All India and State counselling. The AIQ NEET counselling process is the only method for admission to 15% of seats in all government medical and dental colleges, deemed universities, central universities, and ESIC/AFMC including DU, BHU, AMU, and AIIMS & JIPMER.

State NEET counselling is for admissions to 85% of seats in government colleges and all seats in private unaided/aided minority/non-minority medical/dental colleges in the state. Jammu & Kashmir candidates have also been included in the 15% All India Quota seats counselling process.

NEET UG Counselling: Eligibility Criteria

• NEET-qualified candidates are eligible to apply for NEET counselling, which includes All India and State Quota seats.
• Jammu and Kashmir’s candidates are now included in the All India Quota seats counselling process. To participate in the counselling process, candidates must register on the MCC website.
• Deemed Universities’ AIQ counselling is open to all NEET-qualified candidates. This process, along with State Quota counselling, will determine admissions to government, private unaided/aided minority/non-minority medical/dental colleges in the state.

Central university eligibility criteria for the NEET UG Counselling

• Delhi University (LHMC, UCMS, MAMC): 15% of seats are reserved for the All India quota, while the remaining 85% are reserved for candidates who completed their 10+2 education in Delhi.
• Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): 50% of seats are reserved for institutional candidates who have been studying at AMU schools for the past three years. The other 50% of seats are open to candidates from across India.
• BHU: All Indian candidates can apply for admission to BHU.
• Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi: Out of a total of 50 seats, 3 seats are reserved for the internal quota of JMI, and the remaining 47 seats are open to All India quota candidates. Students who completed their 10+2 education from Jamia Schools can also apply for admission through the internal quota.
• VMMC & SJH: 15% of seats are reserved for All India candidates, and the rest are reserved for candidates who completed their 10+2 education in Delhi.

NEET UG Counselling Process Step by Step

Step 1: NEET UG counselling fees and registration

To begin the NEET UG counselling process, candidates who meet the eligibility criteria must first register at mcc.nic.in. During registration, they will need to provide their NEET roll number, registration number, name, mother’s name, and date of birth. After filling out the necessary information, they must pay the counselling fee and security fee using a credit card or debit card. The amount of the counselling fee and security fee varies based on the candidate’s institution type and category. For those in the 15% All India Quota/Central Universities, the neet ug counselling fees is Rs. 1,000 for UR category candidates and Rs. 500 for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates. The security fee for these candidates is Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5,000, respectively. For Deemed Universities, the counselling fee for all categories is Rs. 5000, and the security fee is Rs. 2,00,000.

Step 2: Filling in choice for NEET counselling

As a part of the NEET counselling process, candidates are required to create a list of their preferred colleges by filling out a “dummy sheet.” They can choose their dream college choices and use the NEET college predictor tool to understand their likelihood of getting accepted based on past data. Once the candidates complete this step and move on to the NEET counselling process in, they will have the opportunity to select from the list of choices they have created in their dummy sheet.

Step 3: NEET seat allotment

After the NEET counselling process, candidates should log in to the official website and download their seat allotment letters promptly when they are released. During the first round, candidates have the option to exit for free, but in the second round, they will have to forfeit a fee to withdraw their seat allotment.

Step 4: Reporting to the allotted college

After a candidate receives an allotment of seats, they are required to report to the designated college to complete the admissions process. It is not mandatory for candidates to report or join during the first round, but those who wish to take a seat or upgrade must do so. In the second round, candidates who have been allocated a seat must report and join, unless they choose to forfeit their security deposit by opting out. When reporting to the assigned college, candidates must bring original copies of specified documents.

Candidates are required to bring the following documents when reporting to the assigned college after receiving a seat allotment:

• NEET Admit Card
• NEET Scorecard or Rank Letter
• Class 10 certificate and mark sheet (as proof of date of birth)
• Class 12 certificate and mark sheet
• ID proof (such as Aadhar/PAN Card/Driving License/Passport)
• Eight passport size photographs
• Provisional Allotment Letter
• Caste Certificate (if applicable)
• PwD Certificate (if applicable)

NRI/ OCI candidates appearing for deemed universities must submit the following documents

For candidates who have been sponsored, the following documents may be required:

• Passport copy of sponsor
• Embassy certificate
• Sponsorship affidavit confirming that the sponsor is ready to bear the expenses for the entire duration of study
• Relationship affidavit stating the candidate’s relationship with the sponsor

NEET UG Counselling – what is the free exit? what is the exit with forfeiture?

The NEET counselling process offers two types of exit options for candidates.

• Free exit (only for round 1): Candidates who are assigned a seat in round 1 but do not join or report to the college they are assigned to will not be penalized. The security deposit will not be forfeited, and candidates will still be eligible for further rounds.
• Exit with forfeiture: If a candidate is offered a seat in round 2 but does not wish to take the seat, they can exit with forfeiture. This means they will lose the security deposit they have paid within the given period.

It’s important to note that candidates who join the allotted seat in the second round will not be eligible to surrender their seats and will not be permitted to participate in state counselling.

NEET UG Cutoff

The following is the NEET UG cutoff

Category	NEET Cut-off Percentile	NEET Cutoff Scores
General/ EWS	50th Percentile	720-164
General (PwD)	45th Percentile	163-146
SC/ST/OBC	40th Percentile	163-129
SC/OBC (PwD)	40th Percentile	145-129
ST(PwD)	40th Percentile	141-129

NEET UG Counselling For Central /Deemed Universities

Step 1: Candidates who wish to participate in the mop-up round must register again. This step is not required for candidates who resigned from the earlier rounds.

Step 2: Fill in and lock your preferred choices for colleges in the mop-up round.

Step 3: The mop-up round seat allocation for NEET counselling will take place.

Step 4: The results of the mop-up round will be published.

Step 5: Candidates must report to their preferred medical/dental college to complete the admission process.

Step 6: The deemed/central universities will provide a list of ten times the registered candidates’ number for stray vacancies, in order of merit, to be exhausted.

Step 7: The final stray vacancy round will be conducted by the deemed/central universities. There will be no fresh registration of candidates in this round.

NEET UG – State Quota Counselling

State authorities are responsible for filling 85% of the remaining seats in government medical colleges, while 100% of seats in state-sponsored medical colleges will be filled by them. The NEET counselling process may differ from state to state, and the rules set by each state’s NEET counselling authority will determine the admission process for MBBS in government colleges and admission to private medical colleges.