NEET PG 2025 Round 3 Counselling Registration Now Active

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has officially opened the registration and choice-filling window for NEET PG 2025 Round 3.Eligible medical postgraduates can now apply for All India Quota seats following the significant reduction in qualifying cut-off percentiles. The current window allows for fresh registration and choice locking for MD, MS, and DNB programs until the final week of January. Candidates who missed earlier rounds or are newly eligible due to the revised standards are encouraged to complete their profiles on the official MCC portal.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is actively facilitating the registration process for the third round of NEET PG 2025 counselling. Contrary to earlier expectations of a delay, the portal became live on January 15, allowing candidates to submit their applications for the 50% All India Quota (AIQ) and 100% Deemed/Central Universities seats. This counselling phase is particularly vital as it follows a historic reduction in the qualifying percentile, which has brought the cut-off score down to 103 for the general category.

The MCC has confirmed that the choice-filling facility, which began on January 16, is also operational. Thousands of medical professionals are currently navigating the digital portal to lock in their preferences for postgraduate specialties across government and private medical colleges.

1. Expanded Eligibility and Revised Cut-off Norms

The most significant development in the 2026 counselling landscape is the drastic lowering of the qualifying criteria. This move was implemented to ensure that vacant seats in clinical and para-clinical branches are efficiently filled during the registration period.

• Revised Percentiles: The general category cut-off has been lowered to the 7th percentile, while SC/ST/OBC candidates now qualify at the 0th percentile (score of -40).
• Newly Eligible Applicants: Individuals who previously failed to qualify are now permitted to complete a fresh registration on the official website.
• Security Deposits: Freshly registered students must pay the required non-refundable fee and security deposit to activate their choice-filling link on the portal.

2. Timeline and Choice-Filling Procedures

As of today, January 21, the MCC is entering the peak of the Round 3 cycle. The schedule has been meticulously planned to transition from data collection to seat allotment by the end of the month.

• Registration Deadline: The window for submitting the online registration form is set to close on January 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM.
• Choice Locking: The facility to lock preferred college and course combinations will be available on the portal from 4:00 PM on January 26 until midnight.
• Seat Allotment Result: The MCC is expected to process the data between January 27 and 28, with the final results scheduled for publication on January 29, 2026.

3. Conclusion

The 2025-26 NEET PG admission cycle has reached a decisive point with the commencement of Round 3. The MCC has maintained the digital portal effectively to manage the influx of both previously registered and newly qualified candidates. As the January 21 milestone passes, the focus for most applicants is on finalizing their lists of preferred specialties to ensure a successful allotment. By following the standardized counselling protocols and ensuring all documents are verified, medical aspirants can aim for a smooth transition into their residency programs starting in early February. The successful completion of this registration phase will pave the way for the final stray vacancy round scheduled for next month.