The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME), Tamil Nadu, has introduced a significant update to the ongoing NEET UG 2026 Round 2 counselling. The Selection Committee has added 250 new/increased MBBS seats to the state counselling process after receiving the required regulatory approvals and Letters of Permission from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the concerned university.
The development comes at a crucial point in the counselling cycle, with candidates currently in the choice-filling and locking stage. The official Round 2 schedule covers MBBS and BDS admissions in Tamil Nadu government medical and dental colleges, ESIC Medical College, self-financing institutions, including Christian Medical College, Vellore, state private universities and other eligible categories.
According to the urgent notification issued on September 9, the newly approved seats have been directly incorporated into the ongoing Round 2 counselling.
| Medical college | Status | Additional MBBS seats |
|---|---|---|
| Madha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Chennai | Self-financing; increased intake | 50 |
| Arunai Medical College and Hospital, Tiruvannamalai | Self-financing; increased intake | 50 |
| APS Medical College Hospital, Mevaloorkuppam, Kancheepuram | Newly established/self-financing | 150 |
| Total | 250 |
The Selection Committee said the seats will be apportioned according to the prevailing Government/Management Quota ratio and Tamil Nadu communal reservation guidelines.
Importantly, candidates who have already submitted their Round 2 choices can also edit, reorder or add choices for these colleges.
| Counselling activity | Date/time |
|---|---|
| Choice filling & locking | September 9, 2 pm to September 13, 2 pm |
| Processing of virtual vacancies | September 9 |
| Seat allotment processing | September 14 |
| Round 2 result | September 15 |
| Download provisional allotment order | September 15 to September 18, 3 pm |
| Last date to join | September 18, 5:00 PM |
Candidates who do not manually lock their choices by the deadline will have their choices automatically locked. The official instructions state that choice locking will be enabled only after September 12 at 10 am, as the All India Quota results were declared on September 11.
This is one of the most important rules candidates need to understand.
If a candidate is upgraded in Round 2, they must surrender their Round 1 seat and join the newly allotted Round 2 seat. They will have no claim over their previous Round 1 seat.
On the other hand, candidates freshly allotted a seat in Round 2 who do not report or join can participate in subsequent rounds under the stated free-exit provision.
With 250 additional MBBS seats now entering the Round 2 pool, candidates still have an opportunity to rethink their preference order. But with choice locking scheduled for September 13 at 2 pm, the window for making changes is limited. The safest approach is to review the latest vacancy positions, newly added colleges and quota-wise options before finalising the preference list.