New Delhi: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has allowed candidates who resigned from their seats allotted during Round 1 of NEET SS 2025 counselling to participate in the upcoming Round 2 counselling process. The decision provides relief to several super-speciality medical aspirants who had resigned from their allotted seats amid uncertainty and delays in the counselling schedule.
The latest clarification from MCC is particularly significant for candidates who had given up their Round 1 seats during the special resignation window and were uncertain about their eligibility for further rounds of counselling.
Round 1 Resigned Candidates Eligible for Round 2
As per the latest MCC clarification, candidates who resigned from their Round 1 NEET SS seats within the permitted resignation period will be allowed to participate in Round 2 of the counselling process.
The move gives such candidates another opportunity to compete for available super-speciality seats and potentially secure a preferred course or institution during the next round.
Special Resignation Facility Offered by MCC
MCC had opened a special resignation facility for candidates holding Round 1 seats. Under the provision, eligible candidates were permitted to resign from their allotted seats under exceptional circumstances without forfeiting their ₹2 lakh security deposit.
The special resignation window was opened on July 31, 2026, at 12:00 PM and remained available until August 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
Candidates who wished to resign were required to complete the prescribed process through the MCC counselling system.
Offline Resignations Not Considered Valid
MCC had also specified that candidates were required to report to their respective allotted institutions and complete the necessary formalities before ensuring that the resignation was properly processed through the MCC portal.
Importantly, a resignation accepted only at the institutional level without being processed through the MCC portal would not be considered valid. Candidates were therefore required to ensure that the official resignation letter was generated through the counselling portal.
NEET SS Round 2 Counselling Delayed
The development comes against the backdrop of a prolonged delay in the NEET SS 2025 counselling process. The Round 2 schedule was affected by an ongoing legal matter concerning the allocation of Tamil Nadu in-service super-speciality seats and their proposed reversion to the All India Quota (AIQ) pool.
The matter is being considered by the Supreme Court in Tamilvani & Others vs State of Tamil Nadu (W.P. No. 415 of 2026).
The legal proceedings had resulted in uncertainty surrounding the availability and distribution of seats, subsequently affecting the counselling timeline for NEET SS aspirants.
Automatic Upgradation in Round 2
MCC has also clarified provisions concerning automatic upgradation in Round 2. Candidates will be considered for upgradation during the second round, irrespective of whether they had indicated willingness for upgradation during Round 1.
Candidates who are satisfied with their existing Round 1 seat and do not wish to participate in the upgrade process can choose not to fill fresh choices for Round 2 and retain their existing seat, subject to the applicable counselling rules.
Thousands of NEET SS Aspirants Affected
The prolonged delay in the counselling process has caused considerable uncertainty among NEET SS aspirants. A large number of doctors had been awaiting clarity regarding seat allocation and joining timelines, with several candidates also having to make decisions about their existing academic or professional positions.
The latest MCC decision is therefore expected to provide some relief to candidates who had resigned from their Round 1 seats and were concerned that doing so could prevent them from participating in subsequent counselling rounds.
What Candidates Should Keep in Mind
Candidates who resigned from their Round 1 seats should carefully check their eligibility and follow the latest instructions issued by MCC before participating in Round 2. They should also ensure that all counselling formalities, registrations and choice-filling requirements are completed within the prescribed timelines.
The MCC's latest clarification effectively provides eligible Round 1 resigned candidates with another opportunity to participate in the NEET SS counselling process and compete for seats in Round 2.
Key Highlights
MCC has allowed eligible Round 1 resigned candidates to participate in Round 2 of NEET SS counselling.
A special resignation window was provided from July 31 to August 4, 2026.
Eligible candidates could resign without forfeiting the ₹2 lakh security deposit, subject to MCC's conditions.
Resignations had to be processed through the MCC portal.
Offline resignations not processed through MCC were considered invalid.
The counselling delay has been linked to the ongoing legal issue concerning Tamil Nadu in-service super-speciality seats.
Automatic upgradation will be applicable in Round 2 as per MCC's clarification.
The latest decision provides relief to candidates who had resigned from their Round 1 seats amid the counselling uncertainty.
