MCC Finalises Updated Stray Vacancy Seat Matrix for NEET PG Counselling

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has officially published the Updated Seat Matrix for the Stray Vacancy round of the NEET PG 2025 counselling. This release marks the beginning of the final phase of the postgraduate medical admission cycle for the 2025-26 academic year. According to the official notification available on the MCC portal, a total of 2,980 clear vacancies are up for grabs in this concluding round. The finalisation of this matrix follows a rigorous verification process conducted by participating institutes to ensure that all remaining seats in MD, MS, and DNB programs are accounted for accurately.

Comprehensive Seat Matrix Breakdown

The release of the Updated Seat Matrix provides critical data for candidates who have qualified for this final round. Unlike previous rounds, the Stray Vacancy matrix includes seats that remained unfilled after the conclusion of Round 3 reporting on February 13. The data is categorized by institution type, specialty, and quota, allowing aspirants to make informed decisions during the choice-filling window that has also opened today.

• Clear Vacancies: The MCC has identified 2,980 seats as "Clear Vacancies," which are seats with no previous claimants.
• Virtual Vacancies: In addition to clear seats, the committee has highlighted potential virtual vacancies that may arise during the internal processing of the NEET PG allocation.
• Quota-wise Distribution: The matrix covers 50% All India Quota (AIQ) seats, 100% Deemed and Central Universities, and DNB seats across the country.
• Specialty Availability: Critical clinical branches like General Medicine, Radio-Diagnosis, and Paediatrics still show limited but significant openings in several top-tier government medical colleges.
• Institutional Verification: Every participating college has performed a final check of their joined candidates' data to prevent any seat-blocking or technical errors in the Stray Vacancy pool.

Impact of Percentile Reduction on Seat Competition

The competition for the 2,980 seats listed in the Updated Seat Matrix is expected to be intense. This is primarily due to the recent directive from the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which reduced the qualifying cutoff for NEET PG 2025 to the 0th percentile. This policy change has expanded the pool of eligible candidates by nearly 96,000, many of whom are now actively participating in the Stray Vacancy registration and choice-filling process.

• Registration Window: Fresh registration for this round is currently open and will remain active until February 18, 2026, as per the latest MCC schedule.
• Choice Filling Strategy: Experts suggest that because this is the final round, candidates should fill as many choices as possible from the Updated Seat Matrix to maximize their chances of allotment.
• Mandatory Joining: Candidates are cautioned that any seat allotted in the Stray Vacancy round must be joined; failure to do so results in a forfeiture of the security deposit and a one-year debarment from the entrance exam.
• Seat Matrix Transparency: To maintain transparency, the MCC has also released a 1,959-page document listing all candidates who have already secured seats in previous rounds.

Conclusion

The finalisation of the Updated Seat Matrix sets the stage for the final allocation results, which are tentatively scheduled for release on February 21, 2026. This document is the most vital resource for candidates during the ongoing choice-filling phase, which concludes on February 19. As the NEET PG 2025-26 session nears its end, the MCC continues to emphasize that no further rounds will be conducted after the Stray Vacancy process. Candidates are advised to download the Official Matrix PDF immediately and finalize their preferences before the server closes the locking window on Thursday. The successful completion of this round will ensure that maximum medical seats are filled for the upcoming academic session.