Special Correspondent
Mumbai : After weeks of uncertainty and mounting anxiety among lakhs of aspiring medical students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Thursday finally released the official schedule for NEET-UG 2024 counselling. The counselling process will begin from Monday, July 21, under the All India Quota (AIQ), while the State Quota counselling will start from July 30. All medical colleges across the country are directed to begin their academic sessions from September 1, 2024.
The delay in releasing the counselling timetable had created considerable unrest among NEET-UG 2024 qualifiers, especially since the results were declared over a month ago on June 14. Initially, the schedule was expected to be announced shortly after the result declaration, but technical challenges led to its postponement.
All India Quota (AIQ) Counselling Schedule:
The AIQ counselling includes seats in central universities, deemed universities, and select government colleges across India. The first round of AIQ counselling will be held from July 21 to July 30. Candidates allotted seats in this round must report to their respective colleges by August 6.
Second Round: August 12 to August 20
Final admission deadline: August 29
Third Round: September 3 to September 10
Final admission deadline: September 18
Stray Vacancy Round (Last Chance): September 22 to 26
All admissions under AIQ to be concluded by October 3
Separate Counselling for State Quota:
Each state will conduct its own counselling under the 85% State Quota seats. The first round of state counselling will run from July 30 to August 6, and admissions for this round must be completed by August 12.
Second Round: August 19 to August 29
Third Round: September 9 to September 18
State Stray Round: September 25 to 29
(Final admission date remains October 3 for all)
This year, the state and central authorities are working in tandem to streamline the entire process and avoid overlapping rounds. The NMC has also instructed all medical colleges to strictly adhere to the deadlines to ensure uniformity in the commencement of the academic session.
Key Highlights:
NEET-UG 2024 Result was declared on June 14
Counselling delayed due to technical glitches in central portal
Counselling will take place in three rounds plus a stray round
Both AIQ and State Quota admissions must be completed by October 3
Medical classes across India will commence from September 1
With the announcement of this detailed counselling roadmap, students can finally start planning their admissions, documentation, and travel to the allotted colleges. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to open its official portal (mcc.nic.in) for choice filling and registration in the coming days.
Education experts have welcomed the clarity brought in by the NMC and advised students to regularly check official websites and avoid third-party portals for any counselling-related updates.
