NEET UG 2026 Counselling: AIQ Candidates Must Be Filtered Before State Round 3

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has issued an urgent directive to all state counselling authorities on 10 October 2026, following a Supreme Court order. The notice mandates that candidates who have already joined seats under the All India Quota (AIQ) must be filtered out before Round 3 of state UG counselling begins. This is to prevent the same candidate from being allotted a seat twice — once through AIQ and again through state counselling. Round 3 reporting ended on 9 October 2026, and state authorities must now remove AIQ seat holders from their Round 3 allotment lists before processing begins. This affects every NEET UG 2026 candidate who either joined an AIQ seat or is waiting for a state counselling seat.

What Is This Notice About?

This is a mandatory administrative directive from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the national body that oversees NEET UG counselling. It is based on a Supreme Court order in the case Shubhankar Patnaik vs. K. Ramesh Reddy & Others (Contempt Petition No. 289 of 2022). The Court has ruled that candidates who have already secured and joined a seat under the All India Quota must be filtered out before state counselling proceeds to its stray vacancy round.

In simple terms: the government wants to make sure no candidate gets two MBBS or BDS seats at the same time. If you joined an AIQ seat, you cannot also get a state counselling seat. This notice tells state authorities to check their lists and remove anyone who has already joined an AIQ seat before they allot seats in Round 3 of state counselling.

Why Does This Matter to You?

If you joined an All India Quota seat in Round 1, 2, or 3 of AIQ counselling, this notice means you are now locked into that seat and cannot be allotted a state counselling seat. Your name will be removed from the state counselling pool before Round 3 allotment happens. This is final — you cannot hold both seats.

If you are still waiting for a state counselling seat and have NOT joined any AIQ seat, this notice is good news. It means the state will only allot seats to candidates like you who are genuinely available. The allotment will be cleaner and fairer because candidates who already have seats will not compete with you.

What Is the All India Quota (AIQ)?

The All India Quota is a pool of MBBS and BDS seats (15% of total seats in each college) that are filled through national-level counselling run by MCC. These seats are open to candidates from any state in India. Counselling for AIQ happens in separate rounds (Round 1, 2, 3, etc.) before state counselling begins.

When you join an AIQ seat, you report to the college, submit your documents, and officially become a student of that college. Once you join, you are no longer eligible to participate in state counselling — because you already have a seat. This notice ensures that rule is enforced strictly.

What Is State Counselling and Round 3?

State counselling is the process by which each state (e.g., Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) fills its own MBBS and BDS seats — typically 85% of seats in colleges within that state. Each state runs its own counselling rounds independently. Round 3 of state counselling is the third allotment round in the state's process.

After AIQ counselling ends, state counselling begins. Candidates who did not join an AIQ seat can participate in state counselling. The notice says that Round 3 reporting (the deadline for candidates to confirm they want to participate) ended on 9 October 2026. Now, before Round 3 allotment happens, state authorities must remove anyone who joined an AIQ seat.

Who Will Be Filtered Out?

State counselling authorities will remove the names of all candidates who have been allotted and have joined an All India Quota seat in AIQ Rounds 1, 2, or 3. MCC will provide state authorities with a list of these candidates from its data sharing portal. State authorities will cross-check this list against their own Round 3 allotment before processing.

If your name appears on the MCC list as someone who joined an AIQ seat, you will be automatically excluded from state Round 3 allotment. You do not need to do anything — the state will remove you. This is not a rejection; it is a rule to prevent double allocation.

What Happens to Candidates Who Joined AIQ Seats?

If you joined an All India Quota seat, you are now a confirmed student at that college. You will continue your admission process there — document verification, hostel allotment, course registration, etc. You will not participate in any further state counselling rounds. Your seat is secure.

You cannot withdraw from an AIQ seat to try for a state counselling seat. Once you join, you are committed to that college and course. This is by law and by Supreme Court order.

What Happens to Candidates Waiting for State Counselling?

If you have not joined any AIQ seat and are waiting for state counselling, you will remain in the pool for Round 3 allotment. The filtering of AIQ candidates means the state will only allot seats to candidates who are genuinely available — i.e., those who have not already joined a seat elsewhere.

Your chances of getting a state seat depend on your rank, category, and the number of vacant seats in Round 3. The filtering does not change your eligibility or merit — it only removes candidates who are no longer available.

How Will State Authorities Do the Filtering?

MCC will provide state counselling authorities with a downloadable list of all candidates who have been allotted and joined AIQ seats up to Round 3. State authorities will access this list from the MCC data sharing portal. They will then cross-reference this list against their own Round 3 allotment before seat processing begins.

State authorities will remove the names of all candidates on the MCC list from their Round 3 allotment. This is an automated administrative process — no candidate action is required. The filtering must be completed before Round 3 seat processing, so that the final allotment list only includes candidates who are eligible and available.

Important Dates and Timeline

Round 3 reporting for UG counselling 2026 ended on 9 October 2026. The filtering of AIQ candidates must happen before Round 3 seat processing begins. The notice was issued on 10 October 2026, the day after reporting ended. State authorities have been instructed to complete the filtering immediately so that Round 3 allotment can proceed without delay.

Candidates should expect Round 3 allotment results to be published shortly after the filtering is complete. The exact date will be announced by your state counselling authority. Keep checking the official state counselling portal for updates.

• Round 3 reporting ended: 9 October 2026
• Notice issued: 10 October 2026
• Filtering to be completed: before Round 3 seat processing
• Round 3 allotment: expected soon (check state portal for exact date)

The Supreme Court Order Behind This Notice

This notice is based on a Supreme Court order in Contempt Petition No. 289 of 2022 in W.P. No. 223 of 2022 (Shubhankar Patnaik vs. K. Ramesh Reddy & Others). The Court has ruled that filtering out joined AIQ candidates before state counselling stray vacancy rounds is mandatory. This is a legal requirement, not a suggestion.

The Supreme Court's intent is to prevent candidates from holding multiple seats simultaneously and to ensure fair allocation of seats to candidates who are genuinely available. This notice is MCC's implementation of that Court order.

What You Must Do Right Now

If you joined an AIQ seat: Do nothing. You are secure in your seat. Continue with your admission formalities at your college. Do not attempt to participate in state counselling.

If you are waiting for state counselling: Keep monitoring your state counselling portal for Round 3 allotment results. The results will be published after the filtering is complete. Check your email and the portal regularly for updates. Do not contact state authorities asking about your status — the filtering is automatic.

• If you joined AIQ: Continue admission at your college; you are out of state counselling
• If waiting for state counselling: Monitor your state portal for Round 3 results; filtering is automatic

Frequently asked questions

If you joined an All India Quota seat, your admission is secure and you will not be affected by state counselling. If you are waiting for state counselling, the filtering ensures a fair allotment process — keep checking your state counselling portal for Round 3 results, which should be published within the next few days. Do not contact state authorities or MCC about the filtering; it is an automatic administrative process. Stay alert to official announcements from your state counselling authority.