The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has issued fresh instructions for candidates allotted postgraduate medical seats under the All India Quota (AIQ) through NEET PG 2026 counselling, clarifying fee payment, seat upgradation, document verification and joining requirements. The advisory also outlines the responsibilities of NBEMS-accredited hospitals, including updating candidates’ reporting and joining status on the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) portal within the prescribed deadlines.

Hospitals must verify candidates’ original documents at the time of joining and ensure they meet the eligibility criteria specified in the NEET PG 2026 information bulletin. Candidates applying under reserved categories, including Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), must submit valid certificates as required under the applicable guidelines. Institutions that knowingly or negligently accept false, fabricated, incorrect or deficient documents may face action under the rules, including a monetary penalty of Rs 1 lakh per candidate wherever applicable.

NBEMS has also clarified the first-year annual course fee rules under the revised counselling procedure. Candidates who select the Freeze option to retain their allotted seat and join the institution must pay the first-year fee directly to the NBEMS-accredited hospital. Those who select Float to seek an upgraded seat in a subsequent counselling round are not required to pay the fee while awaiting the outcome. Institutions have been instructed not to collect the first-year course fee from candidates who have opted for Float.

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Candidates who receive an upgraded seat must follow the MCC’s prescribed counselling schedule, with their training period counted from the date they report to and join the upgraded institution. If no upgradation occurs, they must join their existing allotted seat within the applicable reporting window, and their training period will begin from that joining date. NBEMS has stated that it will not intervene in the MCC counselling process and that the prescribed reporting and joining deadlines will not be extended under the general instructions.

The counselling schedule includes four stages: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and the online stray vacancy round. Round 1 reporting and joining began on October 26 and will continue until November 2. The Round 2 result is scheduled for November 14, with reporting from November 16 to 23, while the Round 3 result is due on December 4, followed by reporting from December 5 to 12. The online stray vacancy round result is scheduled for December 24, with reporting and joining between December 24 and 31.

Employed candidates and those serving government bonds must obtain the required No Objection Certificate, study-leave approval or relieving order from their parent organisation before joining. Candidates needing additional time to secure relieving documents may complete verification and pay the applicable fee while requesting an extension, which may be granted for up to 90 days from seat allotment subject to prescribed conditions. DNB training can begin only after submission of a relieving letter covering the full training period. Candidates must also pass a medical examination conducted by the hospital’s medical board. The NBEMS Online Portal for Joining and Registration (OPJR) will be activated after all MCC counselling rounds are completed, with a separate notification to explain the submission process.

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