NEET UG 2026: Over 800 MBBS Seats Unfilled in TN & Puducherry Deemed Universities; Check Fee Structure & MCC Update

For NEET UG 2026: Over 800 MBBS Seats Unfilled in TN & Puducherry Deemed Universities ​​​​​​: The NEET UG 2026 counselling process has hit an unexpected roadblock as over 800 MBBS seats remain completely vacant across deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. According to the latest Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) report, out of the 837 total unfilled MBBS seats nationwide (including All India Quota), a staggering 824 seats are concentrated in deemed medical colleges located in these two southern states.

Despite clearing the cut-off marks with solid percentile ranks, hundreds of qualified aspirants are opting out of admissions. Industry experts and senior educationists points to one primary culprit: exorbitant tuition fees. Without any centralized fee cap on deemed universities, many high-scoring candidates from middle and lower-income backgrounds simply opting to forgo these seats.

High Fee Structure Forces NEET Aspirants to Opt Out of Counselling

The primary driver behind this record-high seat vacancy is the steep financial demand placed on medical students. Career counsellors highlights that annual MBBS tuition fees in TN and Puducherry deemed institutions range between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 35 lakh per year.

When candidates factor in hostel and food charges, adding another Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh annually, the total cost easily exceeds Rs 1.2 Crore for the entire 4.5-year tenure. Compared to other states where private MBBS fees average around Rs 17 lakh, southern deemed colleges present a huge fee disparity. Consequently, financially sound students with lower NEET ranks end up securing these seats instead.

Official MCC Update on Special Stray Vacancy Round

With over 800 seats lying idle after the final counselling round, aspirants are now eagerly waiting on an official MCC update regarding an additional Special Stray Vacancy Round. While the counselling committee is expected to review seat matrices soon, no official schedule has been notified yet. Aspirants are advised to regularly check the official MCC portal and bookmark CollegeDekho to get immediate alerts on upcoming seat allocations, cutoff revisions, and fee breakdowns.

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