DGME Uttar Pradesh Issues Guidelines for UP NEET PG 2025 Stray Vacancy Round Counselling
DGME Uttar Pradesh has issued guidelines for the UP NEET PG 2025 stray vacancy round, the final phase of postgraduate medical counselling. Eligible candidates can participate through online choice filling to secure remaining MD, MS, Diploma, and DNB seats.
The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training (DGME), Uttar Pradesh, has issued official instructions for the stray vacancy round (Round-4) of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate counselling for the 2025-26 academic session. This round represents the final opportunity for eligible candidates to obtain admission to MD, MS, Diploma, and DNB programmes in government and private medical colleges across Uttar Pradesh.
The stray vacancy phase is conducted after completion of earlier counselling stages, including Round-1, Round-2, and the mop-up round, to fill seats that remain vacant despite previous allotments.
Final Admission Opportunity Under Stray Vacancy Round
The counselling authority clarified that participation in this round is strictly regulated and merit-based. Seat allotment will occur through online choice filling only, and no offline admissions will be permitted.
This round aims to maximise seat utilisation before closure of postgraduate medical admissions for the academic year 2025-26.
Check the official notice here.
Eligibility Criteria for Participation
Candidates must carefully verify eligibility before applying.
Eligible Candidates
-
Candidates not allotted any seat in previous UP NEET PG counselling rounds.
-
Candidates registered for state counselling but still without admission.
Not Eligible
-
Candidates admitted through All India Quota counselling.
-
Candidates allotted seats earlier but failed to join.
-
Candidates who resigned after joining a seat in earlier rounds.
-
Candidates already holding confirmed PG medical seats elsewhere.
Seat Conversion Rule
-
Vacant reserved-category seats may be converted into unreserved seats as per government norms.
-
Converted seats will appear as open-category vacancies during allotment.
Key Guidelines and Important Instructions
-
Seat allotment will be purely merit-based using NEET PG rank.
-
Candidates must fill and lock choices within the specified deadline.
-
A Seat Against Cancellation (SAC) option is available in applicable cases.
-
Non-reporting after allotment without valid justification may result in future counselling debarment.
-
Participation is completely online; physical reporting occurs only after allotment.
DGME has uploaded official documents including:
-
Important participation guidelines (dated February 23, 2026)
-
Stray vacancy round schedule (dated February 18, 2026)
Counselling Process and Official Portal Access
The entire stray vacancy round is conducted online through:
-
dgme.up.gov.in
-
upneet.gov.in
Steps for Candidates
-
Register or update counselling registration if required.
-
Pay counselling/security deposit fees.
-
Complete online choice filling.
-
Lock preferences before deadline.
-
Download allotment letter if selected.
-
Report to allotted college within prescribed timeline.
Online registration reportedly began around February 20, 2026, followed by choice filling and seat allotment activities in late February. Final seat matrices will be displayed on the official portal.
UP NEET PG 2025 Counselling Background
UP NEET PG counselling is administered by DGME Uttar Pradesh to facilitate admissions to postgraduate medical courses based on NEET PG scores. The stray vacancy round acts as the concluding phase of the counselling cycle after all main rounds and extensions.
Candidates are strongly advised to regularly monitor the official website for:
-
Updated vacancy lists
-
Allotment results
-
Reporting instructions
-
Final admission notices
This final counselling stage ensures that remaining postgraduate medical seats across Uttar Pradesh institutions are filled before closure of admissions for the 2025-26 academic year.
