175 MBBS seats still vacant in Telangana as high private fees put students off
By TUF News Desk · Published 6 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Telangana has 175 MBBS seats with no takers, even after several rounds of NEET-UG 2026 counselling. Every one of them sits in a private medical college, under the management quota or the NRI quota.
J Venkateshwarlu, joint registrar of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), which runs the state’s counselling, told The Times of India that nothing like this has happened before. “This is the first time so many seats have remained vacant. All govt college seats have been filled, as demand for them is always high and the fees are much lower,” he said.
The fee gap behind the vacancies
A management quota seat in a Telangana private medical college costs Rs 10 lakh to Rs 11 lakh a year. An NRI quota seat costs Rs 24 lakh to Rs 25 lakh a year. The Telangana Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee regulates both figures. Government college fees sit far below them, and that gap explains why one side of the system filled up while the other did not. The difference between central, state and private universities shows up here in plain numbers: the same MBBS degree, a very different annual bill.
Telangana now has more than 10,000 MBBS seats, with over 6,000 of them in 29 private medical colleges. For 2026-27, the National Medical Commission approved 1,010 additional seats in the state. Of those, 900 went to private colleges and only 110 to government colleges, so the growth landed mostly on the expensive side of the system.
Experts quoted by the Deccan Chronicle in October pointed to the same two causes: the fee structure and the growth in seats. Dr G. Srinivas of the Telangana Medical Council said demand for NRI quota seats had fallen as the state’s MBBS seats crossed 10,000.
What happens next
Associations of private medical colleges have asked the National Medical Commission and KNRUHS to extend the counselling deadline. KNRUHS is expected to run another round to fill the remaining seats. Candidates who are still waiting should watch the official KNRUHS website for the next notification, and keep their papers ready. Our admission documents checklist covers the papers counselling portals usually ask for at reporting.
Frequently asked questions
How many MBBS seats are vacant in Telangana after NEET UG 2026 counselling?
175 MBBS seats are vacant. All of them are in private medical colleges, under the Category B management quota and the Category C NRI quota.
Why are MBBS seats lying vacant in Telangana private colleges?
The fees are the main reason. A management quota seat costs Rs 10 lakh to Rs 11 lakh a year and an NRI seat Rs 24 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, while government college fees are far lower. Telangana also added 1,010 MBBS seats this year, 900 of them in private colleges.
Will there be another round of Telangana NEET UG counselling?
KNRUHS is likely to reopen counselling to fill the remaining seats. Private college associations have asked the NMC and KNRUHS to extend the counselling deadline, so candidates should watch the official KNRUHS website for the next notification.
Are government medical college seats in Telangana full?
Yes. KNRUHS has said every government college seat is filled. The vacancies are only in private medical colleges.
Frequently asked questions
How many MBBS seats are vacant in Telangana after NEET UG 2026 counselling?
175 MBBS seats are vacant. All of them are in private medical colleges, under the Category B management quota and the Category C NRI quota.
Why are MBBS seats lying vacant in Telangana private colleges?
The fees are the main reason. A management quota seat costs Rs 10 lakh to Rs 11 lakh a year and an NRI seat Rs 24 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, while government college fees are far lower. Telangana also added 1,010 MBBS seats this year, 900 of them in private colleges.
Will there be another round of Telangana NEET UG counselling?
KNRUHS is likely to reopen counselling to fill the remaining seats. Private college associations have asked the NMC and KNRUHS to extend the counselling deadline, so candidates should watch the official KNRUHS website for the next notification.
Are government medical college seats in Telangana full?
Yes. KNRUHS has said every government college seat is filled. The vacancies are only in private medical colleges.
Sources: The Times of India, Siasat, Hyderabad Mail