CENTAC opens special stray round for 62 MBBS, BDS seats; apply by November 8

By TUF News Desk · Published 5 November 2026 · 4 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

Sixty-two MBBS and BDS seats in Puducherry will be filled through a special stray round of NEET UG counselling for 2026-27. The Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC), Puducherry, has opened fresh applications for vacant seats in private medical and dental colleges in the Union Territory.

The deadline is tight. Fresh applications, willingness and fee payment all close on November 8, 2026, at 5 pm. Course preferences open on November 4 and close on November 8 at 5 pm as well. A candidate who files the application but misses the preference window will not be considered, since earlier-round preferences have been cancelled.

Where the 62 seats are

The vacancies sit in three institutions. SVMCRI, Puducherry, has 35 MBBS seats under the Management Quota. SVDC, Puducherry, has 26 BDS seats under the Management Quota. MINDS, Mahe, has one BDS seat under the Government Quota.

That one seat is the only government seat in the round; no MBBS seat is available under the Government Quota. Unfilled Government Quota seats will be converted to Management Quota once the Government Quota candidate list is exhausted. NEET UG qualified candidates who did not register in earlier rounds can apply fresh, but they will be considered only after the existing merit list is exhausted.

Who cannot take part

Eligible CENTAC applicants can take part, except three groups. Candidates in the CENTAC Round 3 or stray round allotment list, whether they joined or not, candidates in the Round 3 admitted list of All India Quota or state quota, and candidates allotted a seat in the MCC or AYUSH stray round cannot take part. Candidates already admitted cannot resign to enter this round.

The fee rule to read first

Participation requires payment of the full tuition fee as the registration fee. Candidates who paid a registration fee in earlier rounds need to pay only the balance for this round. Pay through the CENTAC dashboard, by net banking or NEFT/RTGS challan, for the exact challan amount.

The cost of not joining after allotment is heavy. If an allotted candidate fails to join, the full tuition fee for the allotted course and quota will be forfeited. For Puducherry SC, ST, EBC and GSS candidates allotted under the Government Quota, the Rs 50,000 registration fee will be forfeited instead. Such candidates will also be barred from further rounds and debarred from NEET UG next year. Sliding is not allowed in this round.

What to do before November 8

Applications, willingness, fee payment and preferences are all submitted online through the official CENTAC portal. Keep the NEET UG scorecard and other certificates ready, and run through the admission documents checklist before starting the form, since a missing document on the last day leaves little time to fix it.

List preferences only for colleges and courses that would actually be accepted. In a round where the full tuition fee is at stake on allotment, a casual preference near the top of the list can turn into an expensive commitment.

This round runs alongside the MCC national stray process, which covered 948 MBBS seats in its special stray round, and follows CENTAC’s recent CENTAC NEET MDS Round 3. The November 8 deadline belongs to CENTAC alone. For questions, CENTAC lists its helpline numbers as 0413-2655570 and 0413-2655571.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date to apply for the CENTAC NEET UG special stray round?

November 8, 2026, at 5 pm, for fresh applications, willingness and fee payment.

When can course preferences be submitted for the CENTAC special stray round?

From November 4 to November 8, 2026, at 5 pm. Earlier-round preferences do not carry over.

How many seats are available in the CENTAC NEET UG special stray round?

62 MBBS and BDS seats across three institutions: 35 MBBS seats at SVMCRI, Puducherry, 26 BDS seats at SVDC, Puducherry, and one BDS seat at MINDS, Mahe.

Who cannot take part in the CENTAC special stray round?

Candidates in the CENTAC Round 3 or stray allotment list, in the Round 3 admitted list of All India or state quota, or allotted a seat in the MCC or AYUSH stray round. Admitted candidates cannot resign to join.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Medical Dialogues, Only Education, Collegedunia