The National Medical Commission (NMC) has officially integrated 171 additional postgraduate medical seats into the 2026 admission planning cycleFollowing successful appeals by 27 medical colleges, clinical specializations like General Medicine and Radio-Diagnosis have received the largest intake boosts.These newly sanctioned seats are being reflected in the Round 3 seat matrix of the ongoing MCC counselling to prevent vacancies in key specialties.Aspirants can now access the updated specialty-wise distribution and college lists on the official NMC portal to refine their choice-filling strategies.Stay informed about the revised postgraduate capacity to maximize your chances of securing a clinical residency for the 2026-28 academic session.

As of January 29, 2026, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has finalized the integration of a fresh batch of postgraduate seats into the national database. Following intense review meetings by the First Appeal Committee throughout December and early January, 171 additional seats across 27 medical colleges have been cleared for the current admission cycle. This strategic move aims to optimize the utilization of healthcare infrastructure by allowing established institutions to expand their specialist training capacity. The NMC has explicitly instructed counselling bodies to include these seats in the ongoing rounds immediately, ensuring that the expanded matrix is reflected in the final stages of the 2026 residency allotment.

Specialty-Wise Seat Distribution

The latest seat matrix highlights a significant focus on high-demand clinical branches to address the nationwide shortage of specialist doctors.

• Clinical Leaders: MD General Medicine and MD Radio-Diagnosis saw the highest increases, with 30 additional seats approved for each specialty during the admission review.
• Surgical Branches: MS General Surgery and MS Obstetrics & Gynaecology received 17 and 14 new seats respectively, providing more opportunities for aspirants in the surgical fields.
• Emerging Disciplines: The NMC also approved seats in specialized areas such as Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Immuno-Haematology to diversify the 2026 specialist pool.

Impact on Round 3 Counselling

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has updated its portal to reflect these vacancies, allowing students to re-prioritize their preferences during the current window.

• Bypassing Delays: To expedite the process, authorities were told to include these seats without waiting for the physical issuance of formal Letters of Permission (LoPs), a move that benefits thousands of aspirants.
• Zero Percentile Context: This seat expansion coincides with the government's decision to lower the qualifying cut-off, ensuring that even the newly added seats in para-clinical branches find eligible candidates.
• Transparency: The NMC has published the full list of benefiting colleges, which includes institutions from Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, for public verification.

Planning for the 2026-28 Academic Batch

Medical colleges are now updating their departmental rosters to accommodate the increased intake as part of their broader academic planning for the year.

• Infrastructure Readiness: Colleges granted these seats must demonstrate adequate faculty strength and clinical material to maintain the quality of postgraduate training.
• Joining Deadlines: With the national joining deadline of January 31, 2026, fast approaching, the NMC is monitoring the reporting status of candidates to ensure all sanctioned seats are filled.
• Future Outlook: This addition brings the total number of PG medical seats in India to over 80,000, marking a steady progress in the planning of the country’s healthcare education roadmap.

Conclusion

The approval and reflection of additional PG seats in the 2026 admission planning represent a vital effort by the NMC to enhance specialist medical education. By addressing appeals from colleges and bypassing procedural bottlenecks, the commission has ensured that clinical vacancies are filled efficiently before the academic session's start. For aspirants, this eleventh-hour expansion offers a final chance to secure a preferred specialty in some of the country's most established medical institutions. As the counselling concludes on January 31, the focus will shift to departmental joinings and the official commencement of the 2026 residency programs.