Maharashtra MBBS/BDS Stray Dates Cancelled; Wait for Revised CET Cell Schedule

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell has extended the MBBS/BDS CAP Round 3 joining deadline to 3 PM on October 16, 2026, while cancelling the Online Stray Vacancy Round timetable that had been issued earlier. According to Notice No.26 dated October 15, candidates allotted an MBBS or BDS seat under CAP Round 3 Group A can report to the allotted college until 3 PM on October 16. The extension follows the revised reporting timeline announced by the Medical Counselling Committee. The same notice makes another important change: the Stray Vacancy Round schedule published through Notice No.23 on October 12 stands cancelled. Maharashtra CET Cell says a revised Stray Round schedule will be published separately. 

Maharashtra MBBS/BDS Counselling: Current Status

The current portal still lists Notice No.23, but candidates should not follow its dates, because Notice No.26 has explicitly cancelled that timetable. 

CAP Round 3 Reporting Deadline Is October 16 at 3 PM

Maharashtra originally had an earlier CAP Round 3 joining cutoff, but Notice No.26 extends the last date for reporting at the allotted MBBS/BDS college to 3 PM on October 16, 2026. 

Candidates allotted a seat in CAP Round 3 should follow:

• their individual selection/allotment details;
• allotted-college reporting instructions;
• original-document requirements;
• applicable fee instructions;
• candidate-specific admission conditions.

The CET Cell’s older stray-round schedule should not be used to alter a CAP Round 3 reporting requirement.

Maharashtra Cancels Earlier Stray Vacancy Round Schedule

Notice No.23 had previously laid down a multi-stage Online Stray Vacancy Round timetable beginning with a seat matrix on October 14 and choice filling from October 15–16. 

However, Notice No.26 now states:

the schedule for the Online Stray Vacancy Round(s) published through Notice No.23 stands cancelled.

Candidates should therefore disregard the earlier dates for:

• Stray Round 1 choice filling;
• Stray Round 1 allotment;
• Stray Round 1 reporting;
• subsequent stray rounds;
• all related dates appearing only in Notice No.23.

Until CET Cell issues the revised schedule, there is no current confirmed replacement timetable.

Has Maharashtra Released the Revised Stray Round Schedule?

Not in the current official listing checked for this update.

The Maharashtra NEET UG portal currently lists:

• Notice No.26 — CAP 3 reporting extension;
• Notice No.24 — Stray Vacancy Round instructions;
• Notice No.23 — the now-cancelled schedule.

No new notification labelled as a revised Online Stray Vacancy Round schedule was listed at the time of checking. Candidates should therefore wait for an actual dated CET Cell notice before taking any new choice-filling action.

Has the Stray Vacancy Seat Matrix Been Released?

The portal currently displays a top-level note stating:

“Seat Matrix for MBBS/BDS Stray Vacancy Round Will be Display Tomorrow.” 

However, that message is a relative-date notice, not a substitute for an actual seat-matrix PDF.

At the time of this check:

• no newly listed MBBS/BDS Stray Vacancy seat-matrix document was visible in the current notification list;
• no revised stray-round schedule was visible.

Candidates should not convert the word “tomorrow” into a guaranteed release date or time unless CET Cell publishes the actual document.

What Does Notice No.24 Say About the Stray Round?

Notice No.24 contains important general instructions for Maharashtra’s Online Stray Vacancy process. It states that multiple stray rounds may be conducted to prevent vacant MBBS/BDS seats from remaining unfilled. It also says candidates must fill fresh choices for each stray round, and allotment will be based on merit and preference. These rules remain important background guidance, but candidates should use them together with the forthcoming revised schedule, not the cancelled Notice No.23 dates.

Joining a Stray Round Seat Is Mandatory

Notice No.24 warns candidates to enter only colleges they genuinely intend to join. According to the notice, if a candidate receives a Stray Vacancy allotment and fails to report within the prescribed period, action can be taken under the NEET UG 2026 Information Brochure. The notice also cites the brochure’s disqualification provision stating that a candidate selected in the final admission round who does not report or join and thereby causes the seat to lapse can become ineligible for admission for the subsequent two years for that group.  Candidates should therefore wait for the revised schedule and fill only genuine preferences.

Can Choices Be Edited in the Stray Round?

Notice No.24 states that candidates can unlock and modify their choices using OTP within the permitted schedule, but no preference can be edited once the prescribed time window ends. Because the earlier timetable is cancelled, the new edit/choice deadline must come from the forthcoming revised schedule. Do not use the old October 16, 11:59 PM cutoff from Notice No.23.

Is Betterment Available After Stray Allotment?

Notice No.24 states that there is no betterment after the Stray Vacancy Round.  Candidates should therefore review college choice, course and fee carefully before submitting preferences.

Check College Fees Before Filling Choices

CET Cell instructs candidates to verify:

• Fees Regulating Authority-approved fees;
• quota-wise fee information;
• college website payment details

before filling preferences. Notice No.24 also says colleges should permit fee payment through DD or NEFT/RTGS during the Stray Vacancy process because the joining period can be short. 

What Should CAP Round 3 Candidates Do Now?

Candidates already allotted an MBBS/BDS seat in CAP Round 3 should focus on completing their allotted-college reporting within the October 16, 3 PM deadline specified in Notice No.26. 

They should retain:

• allotment/selection record;
• admission acknowledgement;
• document-verification proof, where issued;
• fee-payment receipt.

What Should Stray Round Candidates Do Now?

Candidates waiting for the Stray Vacancy Round should not follow the cancelled Notice No.23 dates.

Instead:

• monitor the Maharashtra NEET UG portal;
• wait for the actual revised schedule;
• wait for the actual seat-matrix document;
• review Notice No.24’s general instructions;
• verify eligibility before choice filling;
• check FRA-approved college fees;
• submit fresh choices only when the revised window officially opens.