The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has revised the schedule for the NEET Super Speciality (SS) Counselling 2025 Special Stray Vacancy Round. This change comes after 33 vacant in-service seats from Tamil Nadu were added to the seat matrix. Candidates must complete registration and payment by September 29, 2026, while choice filling and locking will continue until September 30.
- Registration and payment deadline: September 29, 2026
- Choice filling deadline: September 30, 2026, 12 noon
- Choice locking period: September 29, 8 PM to September 30, 12 noon
- 33 vacant in-service seats from Tamil Nadu added to the seat matrix
- Schedule revised following a Supreme Court order dated September 17, 2026
Why was the NEET SS 2025 Special Stray Vacancy Round schedule revised?
The Tamil Nadu state selection committee conducted its state stray vacancy round for in-service seats and found 33 seats remained vacant. These seats were reverted to the Medical Counselling Committee on September 28, 2026. To include these seats in the All India Super Speciality Counselling seat matrix, the MCC revised the schedule for the Special Stray Vacancy Round. This revision also complies with the Supreme Court order issued on September 17, 2026, in the case Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association & Anr Vs. Union of India & Ors.
What are the new deadlines for registration, payment, choice filling, and choice locking?
Candidates who wish to participate in the Special Stray Vacancy Round must complete registration by 5 PM on September 29, 2026. Payment can be made until 7 PM the same day. Choice filling will be available until 12 noon on September 30, 2026. Choice locking starts at 8 PM on September 29 and continues until 12 noon on September 30.
How can candidates lock their choices for NEET SS 2025 counselling?
To lock choices, candidates should follow these steps:
- Visit the official MCC website and log in to the NEET SS counselling portal.
- Navigate to the Choice Filling/Choice Locking section.
- Review the list of courses and colleges in order of preference.
- Make any necessary changes before locking choices.
- Click on ‘Lock Choices’ and confirm the submission.
- Save or print the locked choices for future reference.
For this Special Stray Vacancy Round, choice locking is available from 8 PM on September 29 to 12 noon on September 30, 2026.
What impact does the addition of 33 Tamil Nadu seats have on candidates?
The addition of these 33 vacant in-service seats increases the total number of seats available in the Special Stray Vacancy Round. This provides more opportunities for candidates to secure admission in super speciality courses across India. Candidates should carefully review and update their choices to include these newly added seats.
What other recent updates relate to NEET PG and SS counselling?
Alongside the NEET SS counselling updates, the NEET PG 2026 cut-offs have been lowered for all categories. For example, the general category now requires 262 marks to qualify. These changes aim to accommodate more candidates and streamline the admission process for postgraduate medical courses.
