What Happens to Vacant Seats After MCC Counselling Mop-Up Round?

If you are a NEET 2025 applicant, then you must have doubts related to the counselling rounds. There is a common question that arises in the minds of NEET aspirants. The question is: What happens to the vacant seats after the mop-up round in MCC Counselling? After the NEET UG result is announced, the next step towards admission is counselling conducted by MCC. During the counselling, after the first and second rounds, ‘mop-up’ rounds are conducted to fill the remaining seats. After the mop-up round, if the seats are still remaining, the respective State Quota get the seats transferred back.

The seats are left vacant due to many reasons like not being eligible for allotment, failure of document verification, not having enough score and many others. Such seats are further sent for allotments in additional rounds, if left vacant in the MCC rounds. We will read about it in detail.

In this blog, we will be discussing the mop-up rounds in NEET counselling, conducted by the MCC, the vacant seats after the mop-up rounds, how to apply for mop-up rounds and everything else that you might be looking for. So keep reading the blog further.

What is a Mop-up round in MCC Counselling?

In MCC counselling for MBBS, there are a total of four rounds. After the first and second rounds, the remaining seats are filled in special rounds of MCC counselling called the mop-up round. As per the latest update, there are 1,12,112 MBBS seats in India. In NEET 2024, more than 10,000 seats were available for students in the mop-up round for admission in national and state-level public/private medical institutions.

Now, you all must be having questions regarding the eligibility criteria of the mop-up round. So we will be reading about it in the next section.

What are the eligibility criteria for the mop-up round?

Now, it is important to know the eligibility criteria for the mop-up round so that the students who are eligible do not miss it. For the students who did not get the seat allotment in the first and second rounds of the MBBS counselling, it is a very good option to grab a seat in the mop-up round, as more than 10K+ seats are left vacant for the mop-up rounds. The eligibility criterias for the eligibility in mop-up rounds are given below:

1. Applicants who did not receive a seat allotment in the first two rounds of the counselling. 
2. Students who got a seat allotment in the second round, but opted for upgradation in the mop-up round.
3. Applicants who got a seat allotment but left the allotment and opted for a mop-up round.
4. Applicants whose documents were not verified and lose their allotted seat.

What happens to the vacant seats after the MCC counselling Mop-Up round?

Since the number of seats is very low compared to the applicants, some seats remain vacant. But all the seats need to be filled. So, if any of the seats remain vacant after the mop-up round, the seats are transferred to the respective institutions of the states. After the completion of MCC counselling, some additional rounds of counselling are introduced for the filling of vacant seats by respective state institutions. So, after the mop-up rounds, the seats are not left vacant. Additional rounds are conducted for the counselling, which gives students a last chance to grab a seat.

Why do seats remain vacant after mop-up rounds in MCC counselling?

Despite the fact that the number of seats is very low compared to candidates who appear for the NEET exam. Still, the seats remain vacant, after the four rounds of MCC counselling, additional rounds are conducted for the filling of vacant seats. If there are so many NEET candidates, why do seats remain vacant? There are many answers to this question. Primarily, the reasons are due to rising cutoffs, document issues and even a lack of awareness of the vacant seats. Below are the reasons for the seat remaining vacant after the mop-up rounds:

• NEET cutoffs: Every year, the number of candidates who appear for the NEET UG examination is rising. Due to this, the competition is increasing rapidly. Hence, the cutoff also increases. Though the seats remain vacant, due to high cutoffs, a large number of candidates are not eligible to get admission in such seats.
• Preference for colleges: During the preparation, all the candidates set up targets for admission in particular colleges. Everyone wants a good government college. Almost every candidate wishes to get admission to the AIIMS, as they are considered the top colleges. Currently, there is no limit on appearing in the NEET exam. So, candidates who leave the seats are preparing for next year's examination instead of opting for the seats allotted.
• Lack of awareness: Though the mop-up round is a very good opportunity for students to grab any medical seat, candidates might not be fully aware of its benefits. So, due to a lack of awareness of the eligibility, documents required and advantages, they do not apply for the mop-up round.
• Not taking the allotment in previous rounds: Some candidates who have received allotment in the previous four rounds have not locked their allotted seats. Instead, they move to the mop-up round, so someone who has a low rank misses the chance for an allotment in the mop-up round. The candidate with a high rank often does not take the seat allotted in the mop-up round and goes for the previous allotment. This makes the seat remain vacant even after the mop-up round.

Documents Required for NEET MCC Counselling

Now we will be reading about the documents required for participation and registration of the NEET UG counselling conducted by MCC. It is very necessary as missing any document can lead to issues in the counselling process. All the documents mentioned below are important for participation in the counselling process as well as for the physical verification process.

The documents required for NEET counselling are:

• NEET exam admit card
• NEET examination scorecard
• Class 12th marksheet and passing certificate 
• Class 10th marksheet and passing certificate
• Seat allotment letter (for physical reporting processes)
• Category certificate, if applicable.
• Income certificate
• Government identity proof, like the Aadhar Card
• Photographs of the candidate
• Photographs of the parents (for physical reporting processes)
• PwD certificate (if applicable)

Conclusion

So, now we know what happens to vacant seats after the MCC counselling mop-up round. We also read about the possible reasons for these seats remaining unfilled and the eligibility criteria for applying in the mop-up rounds. So NEET candidates who did not get any seat in MCC counselling rounds can go for mop-up rounds and grab a seat. Have any other doubts related to NEET and NEET counselling? Check out other blogs. All the best.