Your access in Nagaland depends on whether you hold domicile here. The paths differ in scope, rank, and fee.
Eligibility: Must be a permanent resident of Nagaland with a valid indigenous inhabitant certificate or domicile certificate from the Deputy Commissioner. Naga tribes get priority under ST reservation. Inner Line Permit (ILP) area — non-residents need permits.
You are in 2 counselling processes.
Separate registration for each. Separate dates. Separate fee.
In Nagaland, Directorate of Technical Education, Government of Nagaland (DTE Nagaland) holds your state seats — 2 rounds (Round 1, Mop-Up Round).
The steps, in order:
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 is open 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. Nagaland’s own counselling (held by DTE Nagaland) 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 is open 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 deposit rule is unchanged: exit in Round 1 and your security deposit is refunded — you give up the seat, not the money; the deposit is forfeited from Round 2.
Freeze/Float changed the reporting, not the money: in Round 1 you can exit and your security deposit is refunded — you give up the seat, not the money; from Round 2 the deposit is forfeited if you leave.
Nagaland (DTE Nagaland) seats — its own deposit rule: Rs 10,000-20,000. Adjusted against tuition on joining. FORFEITURE RULE: R1 allotment — candidate is not obliged to join (no forfeiture). R2 onwards — if allotted and do not report/join, security deposit is forfeited and candidate is barred from remaining rounds of that counselling cycle.
Nagaland conducts its own NEET UG MBBS admissions through the Directorate of Technical Education, Government of Nagaland (DTE Nagaland). This is entirely separate from MCC's All India Quota (AIQ) process. AIQ handles approximately 15% of government seats and all deemed university seats across India, with no domicile requirement. Nagaland's own counselling handles the remaining ~85% of government seats within the state, plus all private MBBS colleges. It covers 2 rounds: Round 1, Mop-Up Round.
The key difference most candidates miss: your AIR (All India Rank) determines your AIQ position. Nagaland's counselling uses a separate state rank — in most states this is more accessible than AIQ for domicile candidates.
Ask anything about Nagaland counselling — domicile eligibility, fees, bonds, which round to file for both routes.