NEET UG 2026 counselling: Maha CET Cell closes fresh registrations for state quota MBBS, BDS seats today

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell is set to close fresh registrations for MBBS and BDS state quota seats today, November 2, 2026. This registration window is part of the ‘Special Stray Vacancy Round’ for NEET UG 2026 counselling, initiated to fill 138 remaining state quota seats in medical and dental courses across Maharashtra.

The registration facility, which commenced on October 31, 2026, is a crucial step for eligible candidates seeking admission to these vacant seats under the admission schedule announced by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The process includes online application, fee payment, and document submission, all concluding today.

Registration and Document Submission Deadlines

Candidates interested in participating in the ‘Special Stray Vacancy Round’ must complete their online registration and session application for MBBS and BDS courses by 5:30 PM today, November 2, 2026. Following registration, the payment of registration fees through the online payment gateway is open until 7:30 PM on the same day. Additionally, the uploading of coloured scanned copies of all requisite original documents must be completed by 8:00 PM today.

The Maharashtra State CET Cell, which issued notification TICE No. 31 under NEET UG 2026, has scheduled online document verification for these applicants up to November 3, 2026. This schedule is subject to changes based on directions from various authorities including the MCC, AACCC, Central Government, State Government, or competent courts.

Eligibility for Fresh Registrations

The current registration facility is specifically for the ‘Special Stray Vacancy Round’ and has particular eligibility criteria. Candidates who have previously registered are generally not permitted to register again. However, specific exceptions apply to candidates who were allotted a seat in Round 2 of MBBS & BDS (Group A) but did not join, did not report, or cancelled their seat in that round. These candidates are eligible to register again, provided they had not already registered during the CAP-3 round.

Conversely, candidates who were allotted a seat in CAP-3 or any subsequent stray vacancy round are not eligible for fresh registration and the subsequent admission process for Group A courses. It is also specified that candidates registering during this period will only be considered for the CAP admission process for MBBS and BDS (Group A) courses and are not eligible for Group B & C courses.

Overview of Vacant Seats

A total of 138 state quota seats remain vacant in MBBS and BDS courses across Maharashtra, according to a course-wise summary report dated October 27, 2026. Of these, 84 vacant seats are for MBBS courses and 54 are for BDS courses. These vacancies are spread across 99 colleges in the state.

For MBBS courses, out of 8,814 available seats, 8,730 admissions have been made, leaving 84 vacancies. In BDS courses, 2,563 admissions have been made against 2,617 available seats, resulting in 54 vacancies. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) announced the Special Stray Vacancy Round to address these remaining seats.

Further reading

• MHT CET 2026: Report to colleges by Oct 24 for 4th round pharmacy admissions
• MHT CET CAP 2026: 14,877 BPharm and PharmD seats vacant after four rounds
• MHT CET cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• JEE Main 2027 Session 1 application correction window opens November 27
• KEAM 2027: Apply online for engineering seats starting January
• HITSEEE 2027 registration opens November 4 for BTech, BArch, BDes admissions Applications open

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.

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