NEET PG 2025: Round-3 Reporting Concludes; MCC Moves into Vacancy Reconciliation Phase

The physical reporting phase for Round-3 of the NEET PG 2025 counseling is entering its final hours, as the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) prepares to close the admission window for this major round. Following a short extension granted to accommodate candidates after technical revisions to the seat allotment, the reporting deadline is now set to expire on February 13, 2026. This stage is critical, as it determines the finality of thousands of postgraduate medical placements across government and private institutions nationwide.

Final Reporting Surge and Verification Processes

Medical institutes have seen a high volume of candidates arriving for document verification and admission formalities over the past week. This round was particularly dense, involving over 10,000 fresh allotments and thousands of upgrades. The MCC has maintained strict protocols to ensure that all joinings are recorded digitally in real-time to maintain the integrity of the national database.

• Mandatory Physical Presence: Candidates are required to report in person with original documents to their allotted institutes; failure to do so by the February 13 deadline results in seat forfeiture.
• Admission Letter Generation: For a seat to be considered officially "joined," colleges must generate an admission letter through the MCC intra-portal, which prevents the candidate from participating in subsequent state rounds.
• Security Deposit Implications: Candidates who were allotted seats in Round-3 but choose not to report will face the forfeiture of their security deposit and lose eligibility for the final stray round.

Data Reconciliation and Seat Matrix Audit

As the reporting phase winds down, the MCC is shifting its focus toward the vacancy reconciliation phase. This administrative audit involves cross-referencing the joined candidate data from all participating institutes to identify exactly how many seats remain unfilled. This "weeding out" process is vital to ensure that no single candidate holds more than one seat across the All India Quota and State Quota systems.

The reconciliation ensures that the final seat matrix for the Stray Vacancy Round is accurate and transparent. By February 14, the MCC will share the list of joined candidates with state counseling authorities, effectively closing the doors for these candidates to seek further upgrades or alternative seats in the current session.

Transition to the Online Stray Vacancy Round

The conclusion of Round-3 reporting signals the start of the Online Stray Vacancy Round, which is the final opportunity for aspirants to secure a seat for the 2025-26 academic year. This round follows much stricter rules, specifically designed to fill the last remaining clinical and non-clinical vacancies. Unlike previous rounds, the stray round is mandatory—any candidate allotted a seat must join the institute or face severe penalties.

• Registration Window: Fresh registration for the stray round will open on February 16 and close on February 18, 2026, via the official MCC PG portal.
• Choice Filling: Candidates can submit their preferences between February 16 and February 19, with the final result expected on February 21.
• No Exit Policy: There is no "free exit" or "resignation" allowed in the stray round. Non-joining after allotment results in a forfeiture of the security fee and a one-year debarment from the NEET PG exam.

Conclusion

As the Round-3 reporting phase officially wraps up this week, the MCC's focus on data reconciliation ensures that the 2025-26 medical admission cycle concludes with maximum seat utilization. The verification of joined candidates on February 14 will pave the way for the Stray Vacancy Round beginning on February 16. This final administrative hurdle is essential for maintaining the merit-based structure of India’s medical education system, ensuring that the remaining vacancies are filled by eligible and committed candidates before the academic session fully commences.

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