NEET SS counselling 2025: TN DMER opens stray round registration for in-service candidates today

The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME) has initiated stray round counselling for admission to Super Speciality DM and MCh courses for the 2025 session. This counselling, exclusively for eligible in-service candidates of Tamil Nadu, aims to fill vacant seats in Tamil Nadu Government Medical Colleges.

The process, which began today, September 26, 2026, is being conducted in compliance with a Supreme Court order and follows the reduction of the NEET SS 2025 qualifying percentile to the 30th percentile for all specialities, as notified by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

Stray Round Schedule and Application PROCESS

The registration and payment window for the stray round opened at 10:00 AM on September 26, 2026, and will close at 2:00 PM on the same day. Following this, choice filling and locking will commence at 4:00 PM on September 26, 2026, and conclude at 12:00 Noon on September 27, 2026.

The results of the stray round are scheduled for declaration on September 27, 2026. Candidates who are provisionally allotted seats can download their allotment orders from September 27, 2026, until 3:00 PM on September 28, 2026. The final deadline for reporting to the allotted medical college is 5:00 PM on September 28, 2026.

Eligibility, Fees, and Reservation Norms

This counselling is exclusively for in-service candidates of Tamil Nadu, as mandated by the Supreme Court of India’s order dated December 2, 2022, in W.P. (C) No. 53/2022. Fresh candidates who have not registered in Round 1 or 2 are required to remit a non-refundable online processing fee of Rs. 1,000. Candidates who previously registered in Round 1 or 2 are not required to pay again.

Candidates who were allotted and joined in Round 1 or 2 have the option to register for upgradation, which helps in generating virtual vacancies. The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME) will display both clear and virtual vacancies on its official website, tnmedicalselection.net. In compliance with the Supreme Court’s direction in W.P. (c) 290/1997 & W.P. (c) 444/ 2015, there is no reservation in Super Speciality (D.M./M.Ch./DNB) courses.

Context of the Special Stray Vacancy Round

The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) released the schedule for the NEET SS Special Stray Vacancy Round on September 23, 2026. This special round is being conducted for D.M/ M.Ch/ DNB SS seats that remained vacant after Round-2 of counselling and subsequent to the percentile reduction. The qualifying percentile for NEET SS 2025 was reduced from the 50th to the 30th percentile for all specialities, a decision influenced by a Supreme Court order dated September 17, 2026, in W.P (Civil) No. 771 of 2026.

The Special Stray Vacancy Round is designated as a Non-Upgradation Round. Any in-service vacant seats in Tamil Nadu that remain unfilled after the state’s Stray Round are expected to be reverted by the state counselling authority on September 28, 2026.

Further reading

• NEET SS 2025 counselling: MCC clarifies eligibility for special stray vacancy round
• MCC NEET SS 2025 special stray vacancy round schedule released: register by September 28
• NEET SS cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• INI CET July 2026 session online seat allocation schedule released
• Ladakh Central Pool MBBS/BDS: Apply by Sep 10 for 2026-27 single merit list Applications open
• NEET SS: complete exam guide

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →