UP NEET UG Round 1 Counseling Cancelled; Process to Restart
Changes have been made to the counseling process for candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS courses in Uttar Pradesh via NEET UG 2026. The first round of online counseling in the state has been cancelled.
The counseling process for candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS courses in Uttar Pradesh via NEET UG 2026 has undergone changes. The first round of online counseling in the state has been cancelled, and the process is now being re-conducted under a revised schedule. The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training (DGME) issued the new schedule for Round 1 following an order from the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. This directly affects candidates who had already been allotted seats.
Choice Filling Open Until September 21
According to the revised schedule, choice filling for the new first round of counseling has commenced. Candidates can now select their preferred medical and dental colleges and courses until 5:00 PM on September 21, 2026. Subsequently, the new seat allotment result will be released on September 22. Candidates allotted seats in this process will be able to download their seat allotment letters between September 23 and September 26 and must complete the subsequent admission formalities during this period.
September 7 Seat Allotment Invalidated
The DGME has clarified that the seat allotment result issued on September 7, 2026, is no longer valid. This means that candidates who had already secured seats in the first round must also participate in the counseling under the revised schedule. Such candidates are required to submit new choices and lock them within the stipulated timeframe. The new process will be based on the merit list originally issued for the first phase. There is no guarantee that candidates will secure the same college or seat they were previously allotted; therefore, candidates must exercise caution when filling in their choices.
Reservation Dispute Involving Four Medical Colleges
The cancellation of the first round of counseling stems from an issue regarding reservation policies in four medical colleges. A case regarding the reservation system in the medical colleges of Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Saharanpur, and Jalaun had reached the High Court. Challenging the state government’s order dated September 1, the petitioners claimed that approximately 73 seats in these colleges were reserved. During the hearing, the High Court directed that counseling for these colleges should also be conducted based on the standard reservation quotas applicable to other colleges: 21% for SC, 2% for ST, and 27% for OBC. This order affected the first and second rounds of the process, leading to the decision to conduct the first round afresh.
Includes seats in both government and private colleges
The revised counseling process will apply to State Quota MBBS and BDS seats across government and private medical and dental colleges, institutions, and medical universities in Uttar Pradesh. Eligible candidates must log in to the official portal, upneet.gov.in, and fill in their choices to participate in the counseling.
Failure to lock choices results in exclusion from seat allotment
Merely selecting colleges and courses is not enough; candidates must also lock their choices within the stipulated timeframe. Failure to lock choices will result in exclusion from the seat allotment process. Once locked, choices cannot be modified.
Different procedures for government and private colleges
If a seat is allotted in a government medical or dental college, the candidate must complete the admission process directly at the allotted college. Conversely, if a seat is allotted in a private college, the admission process will be completed through a nodal center designated by the government.
