News & Updates
Special Stray Vacancy Round MBBS 2026: State Dates, Seats
6 Nov 2026
17 min read
MCC's provisional special stray result lists 537 MBBS allotments, and every state must finish its own round by 16 November 2026. State-by-state dates, vacant seats, deposits and the rules that catch candidates out.
The special stray vacancy round for MBBS 2026 is the last admission round of the year, and every state must finish it by 16 November 2026. MCC published its provisional result on 5 November with 537 MBBS allotments, and Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi are running their own rounds this week, each with its own dates and deposit rules.
Key takeaways on the special stray vacancy round for MBBS 2026
The DGHS schedule of 2 November 2026 fixes one closing date for everyone: candidates allotted in the AIQ or any state special stray round must join their college by 16 November 2026, and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays count as working days.
MCC's provisional result of 5 November lists 811 allotments, of which 537 are MBBS, 208 BDS and 66 B.Sc Nursing, against a seat matrix of 946 MBBS seats published on 2 November. The final result follows on 7 November and candidates report from 7 to 16 November.
State rounds run in parallel with the same deadline. Maharashtra's first special stray result is due on 8 November, Kerala's allotment on 7 November, Haryana and Delhi GGSIPU on 10 November, Bihar on 11 November and West Bengal on 12 November.
Seats are thin in government colleges. Maharashtra's matrix shows no vacant government MBBS seat and 84 private and minority seats; Kerala shows four MBBS seats, all self-financing; Tamil Nadu shows 15 MBBS seats, almost all in private universities.
Every state excludes anyone who already holds a seat, including an MCC special stray allotment, and most now treat an allotment as binding, with deposits of Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh forfeited if you do not join.
What is the special stray vacancy round for MBBS 2026?
The special stray vacancy round is an extra round added after the normal stray vacancy round to fill MBBS seats that were still empty in October. The DGHS fixed it in its schedule of 30 October 2026: registration 2 to 4 November, choice filling 2 to 5 November, result 7 November and reporting 7 to 16 November. The combined AIQ and state schedule of 2 November then told every state counselling body to run its own special stray round between 3 and 7 November, with MCC sharing its allotted list with the states on 7 November so that nobody holds two seats, and 16 November as the last date of joining for both.
Our earlier guide to the MCC special stray vacancy round 2026 covers the MCC registration steps in detail. This post covers what has happened since: the MCC provisional result and the state rounds now open.
What does the MCC provisional result of 5 November 2026 show?
MCC published the provisional result notice on 5 November 2026, two days ahead of the 7 November date in the schedule. The notice gave candidates until 11 am on 6 November to raise discrepancies through the grievance system, called the result indicative, and said nobody should report to a college until the final result is out.
Figure | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
MBBS seats in the special stray seat matrix | 946 | Seat matrix of 2 November 2026 (13 pages), plus 3 MBBS seats added by notices 19 and 20 |
Allotments in the provisional result | 811 | Provisional allotment list of 5 November 2026 |
MBBS allotments | 537 | Same list |
BDS allotments | 208 | Same list |
B.Sc Nursing allotments | 66 | Same list |
The provisional allotment list opens with All India Quota government seats such as Nilratan Sircar Medical College Kolkata and the Autonomous State Medical College Kushinagar, and AIIMS Madurai under the open seat quota, and ends with long runs of self-financed merit seats at deemed universities in Chennai. The seat matrix of 2 November shows where the 946 MBBS seats sat: the 15 per cent All India Quota in government colleges, central universities and AIIMS, deemed universities under self-financed merit and NRI seats, ESIC, and the AMU, Jamia, DU and IP quotas. Roughly four in ten MBBS seats in the matrix did not find a taker in the provisional list, and most of those are NRI and deemed-university seats with fees that few families can pay.
Two notices added seats after the matrix went up: notice 19 of 2 November added one NRI MBBS seat at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and one OBC PwD MBBS seat at Stanley Medical College, Chennai, and notice 20 of 4 November added one OBC MBBS seat at AIIMS Madurai.
Which state special stray rounds for MBBS are open this week?
Each state publishes its own notice, its own vacancy list and its own deposit rule. The table gathers the official notices dated 2 to 5 November 2026. Figures were last checked on 6 November 2026.
State | Round and dates | MBBS seats on the vacancy list | Rule that catches candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
Preference filling 5 to 7 November (12 noon); SSVR 1 result 8 November, join by 5.30 pm on 10 November; SSVR 2 choice filling 10 to 11 November, result 11 November, join 12 to 13 November | 0 government seats; 84 private and minority seats (SSVR 1 seat matrix) | Anyone on the MCC AIQ special round allotment list is weeded out before allotment | |
Fresh option registration till 5 pm on 6 November; provisional allotment 7 November; a second special stray round follows if seats remain | 4, all in self-financing colleges (vacancy position as on 3 November) | Not eligible if you hold any seat from phases I to III or the stray round, if you vacated a seat after 10 am on 7 October, or if you are on MCC's special stray list; the seat you get cannot be changed | |
Tamil Nadu Selection Committee, tentative vacancy of 3 November | Special stray choice filling open on the 92.5 per cent and 7.5 per cent portals | 15, of which 4 in self-financing colleges and 11 in private universities, mostly management quota | Government quota seats are nil; the private university seats carry management quota fees |
Registration 3 to 5 November; seat matrix 6 November after 5 pm; choice filling 6 pm on 6 November to 2 pm on 7 November; allotment 12 November after 2 pm; reporting 13, 14 and 16 November | Seat matrix released on the evening of 6 November | Admission after allotment is compulsory; no surrender from round 3 onwards; a 4 November notice let candidates who could not pay the Rs. 2 lakh or Rs. 5 lakh deposit for private and management quota choices reinstate their candidature by email that afternoon | |
Registration and choice filling from 4 November; last date 8 November (10 pm); rank card 9 November; choice locking 9 November; provisional allotment 11 November; allotment order 11 to 13 November | Seat matrix of 3 November on the board site | Open to NEET qualified candidates not admitted anywhere in India, including those who never registered in Bihar before | |
Registration and choice locking 3 to 7 November (11.59 pm); provisional allocation 10 November; fee 10 to 14 November; physical verification at UHS Rohtak on 15 November; join by 4 pm on 16 November | On the portal vacancy list | Physical verification in Rohtak on a single day, 15 November | |
Fresh registration, fee of Rs. 2,500 and fresh choice filling from 4 pm on 6 November to 11.59 pm on 9 November; result tentatively 10 November | Vacancies in the IP University quota colleges | Only candidates holding no seat anywhere, state or AIQ; earlier choices are void; an allotted candidate must join | |
Gujarat ACPUGMEC, special stray round notices of 2 and 5 November | Security deposit payable 2 to 4 November at HDFC branches; updated vacant list and deposit paid list on 5 November | 56 MBBS and 32 BDS vacant on 2 November | Security deposit of Rs. 3,00,000; a candidate who does not confirm the seat forfeits the Rs. 3,00,000 and a further Rs. 10,000; round 4 consent givers are eligible unless already admitted |
Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab run their rounds in the same 3 to 7 November window under the DGHS schedule; their portals did not answer our checks on 6 November, so confirm the dates on each state's own counselling site before you act. The NEET counselling hub lists every state portal.
Who is eligible for a state special stray vacancy round in 2026?
The states differ in detail, but four conditions appear in every notice this week.
You qualified NEET UG 2026 and you hold no MBBS or BDS seat anywhere in India, whether from MCC or from any state round. Kerala and Maharashtra remove anyone who appears on MCC's special stray allotted list, which MCC shares with the states on 7 November.
You did not vacate a seat after the cut-off date your state sets. Kerala's cut-off is 10 am on 7 October 2026; a candidate who left a seat after that cannot take part.
You register afresh for this round, even if you registered earlier. Bihar and Delhi GGSIPU both say earlier registrations and choices do not carry over, and Delhi charges a fresh fee of Rs. 2,500.
You can pay the security deposit for the category of seat you choose: Rs. 3 lakh in Gujarat, Rs. 2 lakh for private state quota and Rs. 5 lakh for management quota choices in West Bengal.
Category and domicile documents are checked again in this round. Our guide on the category certificate for NEET counselling lists the formats each state accepts, and the NEETsheet explainer on NEET reservation categories shows how state and all India reservation differ.
How do you register for the special stray round in your state?
Open your state's counselling portal and check the special stray notice and the vacancy list dated this week. Confirm that the round is still open; Kerala's registration closes at 5 pm on 6 November and Maharashtra's preference filling closes at noon on 7 November.
Register with your NEET roll number and pay the registration fee if the state asks for one. Some states carry your earlier registration, others, including Bihar and Delhi, want a fresh one.
Pay the security deposit in the way the notice specifies. Gujarat takes it at HDFC branches, West Bengal through its portal. Keep the receipt; it is checked at reporting.
Fill choices only for colleges whose fees you can pay. With government seats close to nil, most choices this week are private, management or NRI seats; our guide to management quota MBBS seats explains what those fees include.
Lock your choices before the deadline. Choices left unlocked are locked automatically in most states, but the safe habit is to lock them yourself.
Download the allotment letter on result day, pay the college fee within the window, and report in person with originals. Haryana adds a physical verification at UHS Rohtak on 15 November before joining on 16 November.
Which documents do you need at reporting?
NEET UG 2026 admit card, scorecard and the allotment letter for this round, printed from the portal.
Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates, in original, with photocopies.
Domicile certificate for the state quota, and category, EWS or PwD certificates in the state's format where you claimed reservation.
Security deposit receipt and registration fee receipt for this round.
Aadhaar card, passport-size photographs matching the NEET application, and the undertaking or affidavit that some states require from candidates who left an earlier seat.
What happens if you are allotted a seat and do not join?
The special stray round is treated as a binding round everywhere. West Bengal's notice says admission after allotment is mandatory and that no surrender is allowed from round 3 onwards. Gujarat forfeits the Rs. 3,00,000 deposit plus Rs. 10,000 if the allotted candidate does not confirm the seat. Delhi GGSIPU states that an allotted candidate must join. Maharashtra gives SSVR 1 allottees until 5.30 pm on 10 November to join, and runs SSVR 2 on the seats left after that.
Under the DGHS schedule, 16 November 2026 is the final day of joining for the 2026 MBBS session, and no counselling body can admit a candidate after it. A candidate who is allotted a seat and does not report simply loses the seat and the deposit, and the seat lapses for the year. Our post on what happens if you missed MCC reporting explains how forfeiture and ineligibility carried across rounds this year, and the web story on stray round reporting shows the document checklist slide by slide.
What if you get no seat in the special stray round?
MBBS 2026 counselling ends on 16 November, so a candidate without a seat after this round waits for NEET 2027 or looks beyond MBBS in India. The realistic options are an MBBS seat abroad for the September 2027 intake, where applications at European universities opened on 1 November and run to spring (see the MBBS in Europe September 2027 intake guide), a BDS or B.Sc Nursing seat in the sixth MCC round for those courses, which registers from 17 to 19 November with a result on 20 November, or a drop year for NEET 2027 with the NEETsheet guide on NEET marks versus rank as the starting point for setting a target. The MBBS in India hub and the college predictor help a family judge where a 2026 score would have landed, which is the honest basis for the 2027 plan.
How is the 2026 special stray round different from the stray round?
Point | Stray vacancy round (October 2026) | Special stray vacancy round (November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
Who could register | Registered candidates without a seat | Fresh registration allowed in most states, including candidates who never registered before (Bihar, Delhi) |
Result date | MCC result 23 October, reporting to 26 October | MCC provisional result 5 November, final 7 November, reporting to 16 November |
Seats | Government and private seats left after round 3 | Mostly deemed, NRI, private and management quota seats; government seats close to nil in Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu |
Exit | No free exit | No exit; allotment binding, deposits forfeited on non-joining |
What follows | Special stray round | Nothing for MBBS; sixth round for BDS and B.Sc Nursing from 17 November |
Frequently asked questions about the special stray vacancy round for MBBS 2026
Sources
MCC, provisional allotment list, special stray vacancy round 2026
MCC, seat matrix for the special stray vacancy round, 2 November 2026
DGHS, combined AIQ and state schedule for the special stray round, 2 November 2026
Maharashtra CET Cell, notice 33, special stray vacancy rounds MBBS and BDS, 3 November 2026
Kerala CEE, KEAM 2026 MBBS and BDS special stray vacancy filling round, 3 November 2026
Kerala CEE, tentative vacancy position MBBS and BDS as on 3 November 2026
Tamil Nadu Selection Committee, tentative vacancy position MBBS and BDS, 3 November 2026
WBMCC, tentative revised schedule for the special stray round, 4 November 2026
BCECEB Bihar, advertisement UGMAC 2026/18, special stray vacancy round MBBS, 3 November 2026
Related Topics
- NEET UG 2026 counsellingSpecial stray vacancy roundState counselling
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