NEET UG Counselling 2026: Is Round 1 Choice Filling Postponed? Here's What We Know

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) created confusion among NEET UG aspirants after it briefly published a notice indicating that Round 1 choice filling would be postponed, only to later remove the notice from its official website without an immediate explanation. This left many students wondering whether the counselling schedule had changed. (The Times of India)

What Happened?

According to multiple reports, MCC initially released a notice stating that the Round 1 choice filling schedule had been revised, with the start date pushed back due to updates related to PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) guidelines. The notice was then removed, leading to uncertainty among candidates. (Careers360)

Was Choice Filling Actually Postponed?

Yes. Reports indicate that MCC revised the counselling timeline and postponed the start of Round 1 choice filling to August 8, 2026. The schedule revision was linked to an NMC notification concerning PwBD candidates. (Careers360)

Latest Update

The latest available information suggests that MCC has now opened the Round 1 choice filling window, allowing registered candidates to submit their college and course preferences. The choice-filling process is reportedly available until August 13, 2026. (The Times of India)

What Should Candidates Do?

Regularly check the official MCC counselling portal for fresh notices.
Complete registration before attempting choice filling.
Carefully prioritize colleges and courses based on rank and eligibility.
Save and lock choices before the deadline.
Keep all required documents ready for future counselling stages. (The Times of India)

Why This Matters

Choice filling is one of the most important stages of NEET UG counselling because seat allotment depends heavily on:

NEET rank
Category
Seat availability
Candidate preferences

Even highly ranked candidates can miss preferred colleges if choices are not filled strategically. (Wikipedia)

Final Take

While MCC's removal of the postponement notice initially caused confusion, reports indicate that the schedule was indeed revised and that the Round 1 choice-filling process has now begun. Candidates should rely only on the latest updates available through official MCC announcements and complete their choice filling as early as possible. (The Times of India)