The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Post-Graduate (NEET PG) 2025 admissions cycle is reaching its final administrative milestone today. As of February 18, 2026, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has entered the third and final day of the registration window for the Stray Vacancy Round. This terminal phase is designed to fill the remaining vacancies across All India Quota (AIQ), Deemed Universities, and Central Institutes, ensuring that no specialized medical seats go to waste for the 2025-26 academic year. Following the conclusion of Round 3, which saw over 10,000 fresh assignments, the focus has now shifted to the final pool of approximately 2,980 available seats.

1. Final Deadline for Registration and Fee Submission

Today represents the absolute last chance for qualified candidates to register for the 2025-26 PG medical session. The MCC portal has seen significant traffic since the early morning hours as users rush to complete their profiles and submit mandatory security deposits.

• Registration Deadline: Fresh registration for the stray round is permitted until 12:00 PM today. No further extensions are anticipated as the schedule is tightly packed to ensure the academic session begins on time.
• Payment Window: The facility for the payment of the security fee remains available until 3:00 PM today. This is a critical step, as failure to complete the transaction will automatically disqualify candidates from the choice-filling process.
• Mandatory Fresh Choices: It is important to note that any choices filled during previous rounds (Round 1, 2, or 3) are considered null and void. Every aspirant must submit fresh preferences to be considered for an allotment in this round.
• Eligibility Check: Only those who are not holding any seat in earlier rounds of AIQ or State admissions are permitted to participate in this final vacancy filling exercise.

2. Strategic Seat Matrix and Allotment Schedule

The MCC has released a detailed Stray Vacancy Seat Matrix which outlines the availability of seats across various clinical and non-clinical specialties. The reduction of the qualifying cutoff to the "0th percentile" earlier this session has created a highly competitive environment for these final slots.

• Choice Locking: While registration ends today, the choice-locking facility will be available tomorrow, February 19, from 4:00 PM to 11:55 PM.
• Software-Based Logic: The processing of seat allotment will take place on February 20 using an automated merit-cum-preference algorithm to ensure transparency.
• Vacancy Analysis: Of the nearly 3,000 remaining vacancies, a significant portion is located in private medical colleges, particularly for NRI and Management quotas.
• Seat Finality: There is no "Free Exit" in this round; if a seat is assigned, the student is legally bound to join the institution or face severe penalties, including debarment from the NEET PG 2026 exam.

3. Conclusion

The conclusion of today's registration marks the beginning of the final count for the NEET PG 2025 admissions process. With the server time for payments ending at 3:00 PM on February 18, 2026, the administrative focus will pivot toward the final allotment results scheduled for February 21. For the thousands of medical candidates currently navigating the official portal, these final hours represent the culmination of a rigorous year-long journey toward specialization. All applicants are advised to keep their original documents ready, as the reporting window from February 22 to 28 will be strictly enforced to conclude the 2025-26 session.

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