NEET UG counselling 2026: Centre introduces one-time physical reporting

The Centre has introduced a major overhaul of the NEET-UG counselling process, allowing candidates seeking seat upgrades to avoid repeated visits to allotted medical colleges by introducing one-time physical reporting.

Under the revised framework, candidates allotted seats in the first or second round can complete document verification and reporting online while retaining their allotted seat and remaining eligible for subsequent rounds of counselling.

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Candidates opting for the "Float" option will be able to complete document verification online and receive provisional admission without physically reporting to the allotted institution. If they are allotted a better seat in a subsequent round, the earlier seat will automatically be released for allocation to another candidate.

Those selecting the "Freeze" option, or candidates retaining their allotted seat after the third round of counselling, will be required to report physically to the allotted medical college to complete admission formalities, including verification of original documents and payment of fees.

The reforms were reviewed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Wednesday ahead of the commencement of NEET-UG counselling.

“Earlier, every candidate allotted a seat had to physically report to the college even if they wanted to participate in the next round for a better option,” said Dr B Srinivas, Deputy Director General (Medical Education), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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“Now, they can complete document verification online, retain the allotted seat and continue in the counselling process. If they get a better seat, the earlier one will be released to another candidate. If not, they will retain their original seat.”

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has also introduced an online resignation facility, enabling eligible candidates to surrender their allotted seats through the counselling portal instead of visiting their institutions in person.

In another change, admissions under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota have been fully digitised. Candidates required to submit additional eligibility documents will now upload them through a dedicated online portal instead of sending them by email.

“Earlier, these documents sometimes landed in spam folders or were missed, delaying verification. The new software allows direct online verification...” Srinivas said.

To improve transparency, the government has integrated pre-populated candidate data from the National Testing Agency into the counselling system. The process will also include online document verification, National Medical Commission (NMC)-validated seat matrices and enhanced cybersecurity measures developed with the National Informatics Centre.

The Centre has also expanded the number of disability assessment centres for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) from 16 to 61 and constituted an Appellate Disability Assessment Board under revised NMC guidelines.

Nadda directed officials to ensure that the counselling process remains transparent and merit-based.

With inputs from TOI