837 MBBS seats stay vacant after NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy counselling

Medical Dialogues reports from Chennai that 837 MBBS seats remained vacant after the final round of NEET UG 2026 counselling. Citing sources in the Medical Counselling Committee, the report says the figure covers All India Quota seats as well. Of the total, 824 are in deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The rest include one seat at AIIMS Madurai and 12 at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute in Kolar, Karnataka.

Educationists quoted in the coverage point to high tuition fees and to the absence of a fee cap at deemed universities. They argue that high-scoring NEET candidates may be forced to forgo seats they cannot afford, an outcome they say undercuts a merit-based national entrance examination. For colleges and hospital groups, the figures show how affordability can shape whether offered MBBS seats are taken up.