Odisha NEET UG 2026 Stray Round counselling begins today: register by October 18

The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination Board (OJEEB) has released the seat matrix and announced the counselling schedule for the NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round. This round is the final counselling phase for state quota admissions into MBBS and BDS programmes across government and private medical and dental colleges in Odisha. Registration for this round commenced today, October 17, 2026, at 11:30 AM.

The Stray Round aims to fill seats that remained vacant after the conclusion of earlier counselling rounds, primarily due to candidates not joining their allotted institutions or withdrawing their admissions. The seat matrix document, dated August 15, 2026, details the available positions. The counselling for 85% state quota seats is managed by the OJEE Committee, while the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) handles the 15% All India Quota seats.

Odisha NEET UG Stray Round Counselling Schedule and Fees

The OJEEB has outlined a specific timeline for the Stray Vacancy Round, including registration, choice filling, and reporting deadlines. Candidates are required to complete their registration and document uploads by October 18, 2026, at 11:59 AM. A non-refundable registration fee of Rs 1,000 is mandatory for participation, payable through various online modes.

Following registration, a provisional merit list will be published, after which candidates can proceed with choice filling. The final seat allotment results are scheduled for release on October 20, 2026. Successful candidates must report in person to the OJEE Cell in Bhubaneswar by October 22, 2026.

Eligibility Criteria and Required Documents

To be eligible for the Odisha NEET UG 2026 Stray Vacancy Round, candidates must have qualified NEET UG 2026 and possess a valid Odisha domicile or nativity certificate. Furthermore, they must be registered under the Odisha state quota counselling pool. Candidates who have already secured and joined a government medical seat under the state quota in any previous round are not eligible to apply for this final phase.

During the reporting phase, candidates must present a set of essential documents. These include their NEET UG 2026 admit card and scorecard, along with academic certificates for Class 10 and Class 12. The Odisha resident or nativity certificate and the allotment letter from the OJEE portal are also mandatory. All documents must be either originals or self-attested copies.

Overview of Seat Matrix for MBBS and BDS Programmes

The released seat matrix provides a breakdown of the total available seats in government and private medical and dental colleges in Odisha. According to the OJEEB, there are 1,572 Government MBBS seats, including those under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota, and 54 Government BDS seats, also including EWS. For private institutions, there are 400 MBBS seats and 100 BDS seats available.

For context, the previous year’s (2025) Round 3 vacancy for the state quota included 204 Private MBBS seats, 13 Government BDS seats, and 89 Private BDS seats, totaling 306 vacant seats. There were no vacant government MBBS seats after Round 3 in 2025. This year’s Stray Round aims to address similar leftover vacancies.

Further reading

• NEET UG 2026 Round 3 admissions conclude for MBBS at Medical College, Kolkata
• WB AYUSH UG round 2 merit list released: admission based on NEET UG 2026 scores
• NEET cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• CUET 2027: Register by November 25
• AP NEET PG 2026 registration ongoing for MD, MS, PG diploma; apply by October 21
• MGUG MBBS vacant seat admission 2026-27: apply by November 30 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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