Maharashtra NEET UG Counselling 2026: Bombay HC Declines Private College MBBS Admission Plea

The Bombay High Court has declined a private medical college’s request to conduct a separate admission round to fill vacant MBBS seats in Maharashtra during NEET UG 2026 counselling. The court reportedly termed the plea “premature” because the state’s centralised admission process was still underway. The decision is relevant to medical aspirants waiting for vacant MBBS seats in Maharashtra. Admissions are being conducted through the state’s Centralised Admission Process (CAP), managed by the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell. Candidates should follow the official counselling schedule, eligibility requirements and seat matrices rather than rely on announcements of independent college-level admission rounds. According to reports published on October 23 and 24, 2026, 245 MBBS seats remained vacant after the first stray vacancy round. The reported breakdown included 145 seats in private medical colleges and 100 seats across two state private universities. These figures relate to the reported stage of counselling and should not be treated as the latest vacancy count without checking the updated seat matrix.

What Did the Bombay High Court Decide?

The Bombay High Court declined a private medical college’s request to conduct institution-level counselling while Maharashtra’s NEET UG 2026 admission process was continuing. According to published reports, the court observed that the request was premature because the state counselling process had not yet concluded. The college could potentially fill its seats through the remaining centralised admission rounds.

The court reportedly left open the option of approaching the Supreme Court if seats remained vacant after the state admission process. The precise terms of the court order and the status of any subsequent proceedings should be checked against the relevant court record. The dispute concerns whether private medical colleges can conduct their own admission rounds after the state’s centralised process, rather than filling remaining vacancies through the prescribed state counselling mechanism.

Maharashtra NEET UG 2026: Reported MBBS Vacancy Details

The following figures were reported after the first stray vacancy round:

The figures above are based on published reporting, not a live count of seats currently available for choice filling. Candidates should consult the latest official Maharashtra CET Cell seat matrix to establish which seats remain vacant and whether they are eligible to participate in the relevant round. Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Palghar, was reported to account for 67 of the vacant seats mentioned in the court-related coverage. This figure should also be checked against the current institution-wise seat matrix before candidates make admission decisions.

How Will Maharashtra MBBS Admissions Proceed?

Maharashtra has moved undergraduate medical and dental admissions away from the previously used institution-level round for filling vacant seats after centralised counselling. The state’s prescribed process is administered through the CET Cell’s Centralised Admission Process. Under this framework, candidates should use the official counselling portal to check the applicable schedule, submit choices when permitted, review selection lists and complete admission formalities within the notified deadlines.

The Bombay High Court’s reported decision does not mean candidates can bypass the prescribed admission procedure and seek an MBBS seat directly from an individual college. Candidates should distinguish between an institution publishing information about vacancies and an institution being authorised to conduct a separate admission round. The latter must comply with the applicable admission rules and any binding court directions.

What Should NEET UG 2026 Candidates Do Next?

Candidates seeking MBBS admission in Maharashtra should take the following steps:

1. Check the latest counselling notice. Visit the official Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 portal and look for the latest schedule or revised schedule notification.
2. Review the current seat matrix. Check college-wise vacancies, course details and any applicable category or quota conditions.
3. Confirm eligibility. Read the instructions for the specific online stray vacancy round. Eligibility and participation restrictions may differ by round.
4. Follow the choice-filling instructions. Submit fresh preferences if required by the relevant notice, and select only colleges where you are prepared to accept admission.
5. Monitor selection and reporting deadlines. Check the provisional or final selection list and complete the required admission formalities within the official reporting window.
6. Read the non-joining rules carefully. Understand the consequences of not joining an allotted seat before accepting a preference or participating in a final round.

Official Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling portal

Candidates can access notices, seat matrices, selection lists and schedule updates through the official State CET Cell portal:

Official website: https://medical2026.mahacet.org/NEET-UG-2026/login

The portal lists MBBS/BDS online stray vacancy round notices, provisional seat matrices and revised schedule notifications. Candidates should check the latest applicable notice before acting on any deadline reported elsewhere.

What Is the Two-Year Admission Restriction?

Maharashtra introduced a restriction under which candidates allotted a seat in the final admission round who fail to report or join, causing the seat to lapse, may become ineligible for undergraduate medical and dental admission in the state for the subsequent two academic years. The restriction is intended to address seat blocking and vacancies caused by candidates who do not take up their final-round allotments. Its application depends on the relevant admission rules and the circumstances specified in those rules. Candidates should read the current NEET UG 2026 information brochure and applicable amendments rather than assume that every withdrawal, non-joining event or counselling decision attracts the same consequence.

What Happens Next in the Maharashtra MBBS Admission Process?

The immediate priority for candidates is to track the official counselling portal for the latest round-specific notices and vacancy information. Although earlier reports referred to additional stray vacancy rounds planned for October, candidates should not rely on that earlier timeline without checking the revised schedule. The CET Cell portal currently lists notices relating to online MBBS/BDS stray vacancy rounds, including a Round 3 selection list, a provisional seat matrix and a revised schedule notice. Candidates should check the publication date and instructions of each notice to determine the current status of admissions. The Bombay High Court’s decision is a reminder that vacant seats and requests for independent college-level counselling do not, by themselves, establish a right to a separate admission round. Candidates should use the official state counselling process and rely on current notifications for all admission decisions.