NEET counselling in Maharashtra — how it actually works for you.

You are in 2 counselling processes.

• MCC — 15% All India Quota government seats, every deemed seat, every central-university seat.
• Your state — the other 85% of government seats.

Separate registration for each. Separate dates. Separate fee.

In Maharashtra, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) / State CET Cell, Maharashtra (MH CET Cell) holds your state seats — 4 rounds (CAP Round 1, CAP Round 2, CAP Round 3 (Mop-Up), Stray Vacancy Round).

The steps, in order:

1. Registration — pay the fee, create your account on the portal (MCC or your state’s).
2. Choice filling — you rank every seat you would actually join, in the order you want it.
3. Lock — choices close at a fixed deadline; the list is frozen, no more edits or reordering after.
4. Allotment — the system goes straight down your list and gives you the first seat still available at your rank.
5. Freeze or Float — accept and stop (Freeze), or stay in line for something higher while your current seat is held (Float).
6. Report + deposit — verify documents, pay the seat deposit.
7. Later rounds — Round 2, Round 3 (mop-up), and a stray-vacancy round fill what is left; floating carries you into the next round automatically.
8. Upgrade / exit — you can move up in a later round, or step away — but only Round 1 lets you leave without losing the deposit.

2026 change on MCC seats: After each allotment you now choose Freeze or Float. Freeze = accept and stop: you report once at the allotted college for document verification and fee, and you’re done. Float = accept but stay in line for a higher choice: under the 2026 reform you do not report physically while floating — your provisional admission stays valid online as you take the next rounds. Upgradation continues up to Round 3; after Round 3 anyone still holding a seat reports physically to finish.

This reform is MCC’s own — it covers AIQ, deemed and central seats only. Maharashtra’s own counselling (held by MH CET Cell) sets its own process; check with them for how upgrades work on your state seats.

Round 1 — you leave with your deposit, but you give up the seat: In Round 1, if you do not report to your allotted college, your Round 1 choices become null and void and you register fresh for Round 2. No deposit is forfeited in Round 1. However, you give up your Round 1 seat — if Round 2 allots lower or nothing, you cannot get it back.

Deposit (Round 2 onward): The deposit amount depends on seat type: AIQ Government seats — UR/EWS: ₹10,000; OBC/SC/ST reserved: ₹5,000. Deemed / Central University seats: ₹2,00,000. From Round 2 onward, not joining (no-show) after being allotted forfeits this deposit. Round 1 has no deposit forfeiture — you can exit with no penalty. State-quota seat deposits are governed by each state's counselling authority (e.g. KEA for Karnataka) and differ from MCC rules — verify with the state DME.

Upgrading — 2026 change on MCC seats: After each allotment you now choose Freeze or Float. Freeze = accept and stop: you report once at the allotted college for document verification and fee, and you’re done. Float = accept but stay in line for a higher choice: under the 2026 reform you do not report physically while floating — your provisional admission stays valid online as you take the next rounds. Upgradation continues up to Round 3; after Round 3 anyone still holding a seat reports physically to finish.

Exiting a seat: You can now resign (forego) an allotted seat online through the MCC portal, within the timeline — no physical visit to the college. The money rule is unchanged: Leave a seat in Round 1 and it is refunded. After Round 2, if you leave the seat given to you, the security money is forfeited.

Freeze or Float changes how you report, not the money. Leave a seat in Round 1 and it is refunded. After Round 2, if you leave the seat given to you, the security money is forfeited.

Maharashtra (MH CET Cell) seats — its own deposit rule: UG: No separate security deposit for CAP counselling. Rs 1,000 registration (Open) / Rs 500 (Reserved) / Rs 5,000 (IQ). R1: not obliged to join (no forfeiture). R2 onwards: if allotted and not reported, barred from remaining rounds. First-year fees payable on reporting to college. IQ fee = 3x state fee. NRI = 5x state fee. PG: Rs 25,000 (govt-only) / Rs 1,00,000 (govt+private). Forfeited from R2 if allotted and not joined.

Maharashtra government-seat bond: Rs 10,00,000 (govt MBBS with scholarship), 1 year mandatory rural service.