Maharashtra NEET PG 2026: Offline Institutional Rounds Scrapped, Every Quota Seat Now Online
By TUF News Desk · Published 12 October 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Private medical colleges in Maharashtra can no longer fill postgraduate seats on their own campuses. The state government notified the Maharashtra Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission) Rules, 2026, on October 5. Under the new framework, every MD, MS and MDS seat in the state moves through the State CET Cell’s centralised online counselling, and the offline institutional-level round has been discontinued.
What the new rules change
Until this year, private medical and dental colleges in Maharashtra could run their own offline admission rounds to fill institutional quota seats, management quota seats and NRI quota seats after the regular counselling ended. The revised rules bring all three categories under one centralised online process managed by the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, for admissions to the 2026-27 academic year.
The shift covers the tail end of counselling as well. Vacant seats left after the regular rounds, which colleges used to mop up through their own institutional rounds, will now be filled through online stray vacancy rounds conducted by the CET Cell itself on the official CET Cell portal.
A wider pool for institutional quota seats
The notification does more than move the process online. It expands who can compete for institutional quota seats in private medical and dental colleges. Non-Maharashtra domicile holders, state domicile holders who completed their MBBS outside the state, and graduates holding foreign medical degrees are now eligible too. Out-of-state aspirants who were locked out of these seats earlier can finally compete for them this year.
The minister’s line: transparency and merit
Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said the revised rules are meant to make the admission process transparent and centred on merit and quality. The state’s position is that a single centralised process, run by the CET Cell, leaves less room for the opacity that came with campus-level rounds. How it plays out on the ground will be clear once the first online rounds conclude.
What this means for aspirants
For candidates, the change is largely about discipline. Everything now happens inside the CET Cell’s online windows, so registration deadlines and document uploads carry real weight. The rules also tighten penalties: candidates who violate the allotment and joining rules face a two-year debarment from Maharashtra’s state-level admissions. Read the official brochure on the CET Cell website before the round you are targeting, and keep every document scanned and ready. The admission documents checklist covers the full set.
Maharashtra’s state counselling Round 1 opens on October 21, 2026, running a few days behind the MCC central rounds. Our central vs state vs private university guide explains how the two tracks divide the seats. Graduates of University of Mumbai and other state universities should treat the CET Cell portal as the single source of truth this year, since no college office can offer a separate route anymore.
Frequently asked questions
What changed in Maharashtra NEET PG counselling for 2026?
The state scrapped offline institutional-level admission rounds. All MD, MS and MDS seats, including institutional, management and NRI quotas, will be allotted only through centralised online counselling run by the State CET Cell.
Can out-of-state candidates apply for institutional quota seats in Maharashtra now?
Yes. The revised rules open institutional quota seats in private medical and dental colleges to non-Maharashtra domicile holders, state domicile holders who did their MBBS outside the state, and foreign medical graduates.
Will stray vacancy rounds still happen at the college level?
No. Even the final stray vacancy rounds will be conducted online by the Maharashtra State CET Cell through its centralised admission process.
Is there a penalty for skipping the new process?
Yes. Candidates who violate the allotment and joining rules can be debarred from Maharashtra state-level admissions for two years.
Frequently asked questions
What changed in Maharashtra NEET PG counselling for 2026?
The state scrapped offline institutional-level admission rounds. All MD, MS and MDS seats, including institutional, management and NRI quotas, will be allotted only through centralised online counselling run by the State CET Cell.
Can out-of-state candidates apply for institutional quota seats in Maharashtra now?
Yes. The revised rules open institutional quota seats in private medical and dental colleges to non-Maharashtra domicile holders, state domicile holders who did their MBBS outside the state, and foreign medical graduates.
Will stray vacancy rounds still happen at the college level?
No. Even the final stray vacancy rounds will be conducted online by the Maharashtra State CET Cell through its centralised admission process.
Is there a penalty for skipping the new process?
Yes. Candidates who violate the allotment and joining rules can be debarred from Maharashtra state-level admissions for two years.
Sources: JagranJosh, Careers360, Shiksha