The development is significant for aspirants preparing their college preference lists for Maharashtra NEET UG counselling. Students should carefully review the available choices and understand that these institutions may not be available for selection during the first admission round.

Three Colleges to Remain Outside Maharashtra NEET UG CAP Round 1

According to the notice issued in connection with the Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 admission process, the following three institutions are undergoing the process of becoming private universities and will therefore not participate in the first CAP round:

The three institutions are expected to participate in a subsequent round of admissions after completing the necessary formalities related to their transition into private universities. However, candidates should note that no specific round or confirmed date for their inclusion has been announced in the available update.

Why Are These Colleges Skipping the First Admission Round?

The Maharashtra State CET Cell's decision is linked to the ongoing process of establishing private universities associated with these institutions. Since the required transition and related formalities are still underway, the colleges will remain outside the first round of the Centralised Admission Process.

This means that candidates filling their Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 CAP Round 1 preferences should not expect these colleges to be available in the option list for that round.

The development does not mean that the colleges have permanently withdrawn from the 2026 admission process. Instead, their participation is expected to be considered in later rounds once the necessary university-related procedures and approvals are completed.

What Happens to Admissions After the Private University Transition?

The Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 Information Brochure contains provisions dealing with institutions that transition into private universities. As reported in the notice concerning these three colleges, their admission conditions could differ from the usual framework applicable to other colleges participating in the state CAP process.

Candidates considering these institutions in subsequent counselling rounds should pay particular attention to the following points:

40% Maharashtra Domicile Seats: The applicable provisions indicate that a specified share of seats may be reserved for eligible Maharashtra domicile candidates after the institutions transition to the private university framework.

Fee Structure: The fees applicable to these institutions may be determined under the fee-fixation mechanism applicable to private universities rather than the regular framework followed by other participating colleges.

Scholarship and Fee Reimbursement: Candidates admitted under the relevant private university framework may not be eligible for government scholarship or fee-reimbursement benefits that could otherwise apply under certain state admission categories.

Students are therefore advised to carefully check the latest official admission notice, eligibility rules and fee details before including these institutions in their preferences when they become available in a subsequent round.

Impact on Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 Candidates

The temporary exclusion of these three institutions is particularly important for students who had planned to select them as preferred MBBS or BDS options.

For the first CAP round, aspirants will need to prepare their preference lists based on the colleges and seats officially displayed on the counselling portal. Candidates should avoid assuming that the three affected institutions will be available simply because they may have participated in previous admission cycles.

The absence of two MBBS colleges and one BDS college from the opening round may also influence how students arrange their choices, particularly aspirants from Nagpur and Ahilyanagar who were considering these institutions.

Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 Counselling Process

The Maharashtra State CET Cell conducts the Centralised Admission Process for eligible candidates seeking admission to undergraduate MBBS and BDS programmes in the state.

The counselling process generally involves several important stages, including:

• Online registration and application submission

• Publication of the provisional merit list

• Submission of grievances and verification of candidate details

• Publication of the final merit list

• Online choice filling and preference submission

• Seat allotment

• Seat acceptance

• Physical reporting to the allotted college

• Participation in subsequent rounds, subject to eligibility and applicable rules

The CET Cell has revised the Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 CAP Round 1 schedule in line with changes to the broader counselling timeline. Candidates should therefore rely on the latest schedule and notices published through the official Maharashtra medical admission portal rather than depending on older dates.

What Should Candidates Do Now?

Candidates participating in Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling should take the following steps:

Check the official choice list carefully: Before submitting preferences, verify which colleges and courses are actually available in the current CAP round.

Do not include unavailable colleges in your admission calculations: Since the three institutions are not participating in Round 1, candidates should plan their choices accordingly.

Monitor subsequent counselling notices: The colleges may become available in a later round after the completion of the required private university formalities.

Review fees before exercising options: If these institutions enter the counselling process later, candidates should carefully examine the applicable tuition fee and other financial conditions.

Check scholarship eligibility: Students who depend on government scholarships or fee-reimbursement schemes should specifically verify whether they will remain eligible after admission to a college operating under the private university framework.

Keep documents ready: Candidates should ensure that all educational, identity, domicile, category and other applicable documents are available for verification and reporting.

Important Advisory for Students and Parents

The Maharashtra NEET UG counselling process can undergo schedule revisions and institutional updates during the admission cycle. Candidates should therefore not make decisions solely on the basis of earlier seat matrices, previous-year college participation or unofficial reports.

The Maharashtra State CET Cell's official medical admission portal remains the key source for updated schedules, notices, seat availability and CAP-related instructions. The official portal also provides counselling schedules and other admission-related information for candidates.

Bottom Line

The decision to keep Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation's Medical College in Ahilyanagar, N.K.P. Salve Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur and Ranjit Deshmukh Dental College and Research Centre in Nagpur out of Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 CAP Round 1 is linked to their ongoing transition towards becoming private universities.

For now, candidates should prepare their Round 1 choices without expecting these colleges to be available. However, aspirants interested in these institutions should continue monitoring official Maharashtra CET Cell notifications because the colleges may participate in a later admission round once the required formalities are completed. Any candidate considering these institutions later should also carefully review the applicable domicile quota, fee structure and scholarship or fee-reimbursement conditions before finalising their preferences.