NEET PG 2025 Counselling Schedule Announced for Round-3 and Stray Round Under All India and State Quotas

NEET PG 2025 Counselling Schedule Announced for Round-3 and Stray Round Under All India and State Quotas

NEET PG 2025 Counselling Schedule Announced for Round-3 and Stray Round Under All India and State Quotas

The official schedule for NEET PG 2025 counselling has been released, outlining the timelines for Round-3, Stray Round and commencement of the postgraduate academic session. This announcement is significant for medical graduates seeking admission into MD, MS and DNB courses under the All India Quota, Deemed Universities, Central Universities and State Quota seats for the 2025 academic year.

The structured counselling timeline ensures transparent seat allotment, minimal seat wastage and timely commencement of postgraduate training across medical institutions in India. The schedule includes important deadlines for registration, seat allotment, reporting, joining, and academic session commencement.

Round-3 Counselling Timeline

According to the schedule, Round-3 counselling will begin on 15 January 2026 and conclude by 7 February 2026, depending on the completion of seat reporting and verification.

Key Dates for Round-3

• Round-3 Counselling Window:
  15 January 2026 to 29 January 2026 (All India Quota and Deemed/Central Universities)

• State Counselling Window:
  27 January 2026 to 7 February 2026

• Sharing of Joined Candidates Data by MCC:
  6 February 2026 and 7 February 2026

• Last Date of Joining:
  6 February 2026 for All India/Deemed/Central Universities
  13 February 2026 for State Counselling

Round-3 allows eligible candidates to compete for remaining PG medical seats before vacant positions transition into the Stray Round phase.

Stray Round Counselling and Seat Allocation

The Stray Round is designed to fill leftover seats after the completion of Round-3. It serves as a crucial opportunity for candidates who remained unallotted during earlier phases.

Stray Round Dates

• Stray Round Window:
  10 February 2026 to 18 February 2026 for All India and Deemed/Central Universities

• State Counselling Stray Round:
  16 February 2026 to 26 February 2026

• Publication of Allotted Candidate List:
  18 February 2026

At the end of the Stray Round, seats that remain unfilled are generally not carried forward to the next academic session. Therefore, this round represents the final structured opportunity for PG medical seat allotment for 2025–26.

Final Date of Joining and Seat Confirmation

The last date for joining allotted seats is crucial to ensure no discrepancy in seat occupancy and to prevent vacant seats from being wasted. As per the schedule:

• Final Joining Date for All India and State Quota:
  28 February 2026

Candidates must complete all admission formalities, document verification, fee submission and academic reporting within this deadline to secure their allotted seat.

Commencement of PG Academic Session

After the structured counselling phases, the academic session for PG courses will commence on:

22 December 2025

Early commencement ensures sufficient duration for clinical rotations, thesis submission timelines and course completion standards mandated by medical education authorities.

Administrative Notes and Counselling Efficiency Measures

The notice emphasizes that all participating institutions and colleges must treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days during the counselling period to facilitate timely admission processing. This measure ensures:

• Minimum disruption to academic deadlines

• Faster reporting and verification procedures

• Improved utilization of allotted seats

The schedule also highlights the responsibility of authorities to share data of joined candidates to avoid duplication and ensure accurate vacancy identification during subsequent rounds.

Conclusion

The NEET PG 2025 counselling schedule provides a clear roadmap for postgraduate medical seat allocation through Round-3 and Stray Round across All India, Deemed, Central and State quota systems. With deadlines for registration, reporting and academic commencement now defined, eligible candidates should prepare their documents and monitor dates closely to secure an MD, MS or DNB seat for the 2025–26 academic cycle.

Active participation in Round-3 and Stray Round is especially critical for aspirants who have not secured seats in earlier rounds or are seeking admission into competitive clinical branches. The structured timelines and final joining deadlines ensure smooth functioning of medical admission processes nationwide.