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NEET UG 2026

Maharashtra NEET UG 2026
State Counselling Guide

81 MBBS colleges · 42 govt + 24 private + 14 deemed + 1 AIIMS · Unique NT categories · Women (W) quota

42 govt colleges
24 private colleges
14 deemed (MCC)
W Women quota in every category
Section 1

Why Maharashtra is Different

Most deemed colleges in any state. Unique NT sub-categories. Women (W) reservation within every category. Category-wise fee differences at government colleges.

4 Nomadic Tribe Sub-categories
Maharashtra has VJ/DT NT(A) (3%), NT(B) (2.5%), NT(C) (3.5%), NT(D) (2%) — nomadic and denotified tribe sub-categories found in no other state. Each has separate seat allocation, different closing rank ranges, and requires its own caste certificate + validity certificate + non-creamy layer certificate.
30% Women (W) Quota
30% seats reserved for women within every category: OPEN (W), OBC (W), SC (W), ST (W), EWS (W), SEBC (W), NT-B (W), NT-C (W), VJA (W). Female candidates get two chances per category. No (W) reservation in Defence, PwD, or Orphan quotas.
Category-wise Govt Fees
At the same government college, OPEN pays ₹1.62L/yr while SC pays ₹12,500/yr. Fee is determined by your category, not just the college. This is one of the sharpest fee differences in India.
14 Deemed Colleges
Maharashtra has the most deemed universities of any state — 14 colleges under MCC counselling. These are entirely separate from CAP state counselling. Open to all India.
Section 2

Category Codes Decoded

Maharashtra has one of the most complex category systems. Each code = base category + optional (W) suffix for women.

Base Categories

Code Category Reservation % Who qualifies
OPEN General (Unreserved) ~28% All MH domicile candidates. Includes OPEN and OPEN (W) for women.
OBC Other Backward Classes 19% OBC non-creamy layer certificate + MH domicile. Includes OBC (W).
SC Scheduled Caste 13% SC caste + validity certificate from MH. Includes SC (W). Heavily subsidized fees.
ST Scheduled Tribe 7% ST tribe + validity certificate from MH. Includes ST (W). Heavily subsidized fees.
EWS Economically Weaker Section 10% (supernumerary) Family income < ₹8L/yr, not in any other reserved category. Seats are over and above sanctioned intake. EWS eligibility certificate (Proforma V) required. Includes EWS (W).
SEBC Socially & Educationally Backward 10% Maratha reservation category (distinct from OBC). Non-creamy layer required. Subject to Hon'ble High Court decision on related writ petitions. Includes SEBC (W).
VJ/DT NT(A) Vimukta Jati / Denotified Tribes 3% Formerly "criminal tribes" de-notified post-independence. Also known as NT-A. Non-creamy layer required. Unique to Maharashtra.
NT(B) Nomadic Tribe 1 2.5% Specific nomadic communities listed in MH govt gazette. Non-creamy layer required. Unique to Maharashtra.
NT(C) Nomadic Tribe 2 3.5% Different set of nomadic communities from NT(B). Non-creamy layer required. Unique to Maharashtra.
NT(D) Nomadic Tribe 3 2% Third sub-group of nomadic tribes. Non-creamy layer required. Unique to Maharashtra.
SBC Special Backward Class 2% Small category. Non-creamy layer required. SBC candidates who were previously in a Reserved Class are considered under their original category first. Separate from OBC and SEBC.

Total vertical reservation: 60% (SC+ST+OBC+SEBC+VJ/DT+NT-B+NT-C+NT-D) + EWS 10% supernumerary + SBC 2% from vacant reserved seats. OPEN seats are approximately 28% of sanctioned intake. Source: MH CET Cell Information Brochure 2025-26, Rule 6(a).

Special Quotas (Horizontal / Supernumerary)

Code Quota % of CAP seats Notes
(W) Women Reservation 30% Suffix added to every base category: OPEN (W), OBC (W), SC (W) etc. Female candidates only. No (W) reservation under Defence, PwD, or Orphan categories.
DEF-1 Ex-Service (MH domicile) 5% (combined) Children of ex-service personnel domiciled in Maharashtra. Must have passed HSC from MH school. Proforma C required. Not for civilian staff working in defence.
DEF-2 Active Service (MH domicile) Children of active service personnel domiciled in Maharashtra. Proforma C required.
DEF-3 Active Service (non-domicile) Children of active service personnel posted to MH but not domiciled. Proforma C + D/E required.
Orphan Orphan Quota 1% Proforma U certificate required. 1% of CAP seats (excluding minority institutions and AI seats). Extremely small pool — 1-2 seats at some colleges.
PwD Persons with Disabilities 5% Minimum 40% benchmark disability certificate. Horizontal reservation within each category (PwD SC candidate fills PwD + SC seat). Available in HU/SL seats for MH domicile only.
IQ Institutional Quota 15% at private Open to all India — the non-domicile route. Up to 5% may go to NRI candidates (if approved). Includes OCI/PIO/Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries.
J&K/Ladakh J&K Migrant Quota Supernumerary Children of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, IAS/IPS/IFS posted to J&K, or military/paramilitary posted to J&K. Seats over and above sanctioned intake. Cannot change college/course at any stage.
The Women (W) Quota: Dual Opportunity
At KEM Mumbai, OPEN closing was 2,430 but OPEN (W) closing was 2,304 — women had a better closing rank (lower number = more competitive). At Grant Medical College, OPEN closed at 16,230 but OPEN (W) at 8,050 — a massive difference.

Female candidates compete in both the regular and (W) pools. They get allotted to whichever their rank qualifies for first. This effectively doubles the chances for women in every category.
Female candidates · 2 chances per category · Regular + (W) seats
Section 3

Seat Structure

Three distinct tracks with very different eligibility, fees, and counselling bodies.

G
Government (42 colleges)
100% state quota. All seats through CAP (Centralized Admission Process). Full category reservation: OPEN, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, SEBC, NTB, NTC, NTD, VJA, SBC + Women (W) in each.
Eligibility: Maharashtra domicile ONLY. No non-domicile access to any govt seat. Period.
P
Private (24 colleges)
85% state quota (MH domicile, with reservation) + 15% Institutional Quota (IQ) open to all India. IQ includes NRI/OCI/OMS. FRA-regulated fees.
Eligibility: 85% = MH domicile. 15% IQ = any citizen of India including NRI/OCI. IQ is the only non-domicile route into MH private.
D
Deemed (14 colleges)
100% under MCC. Not part of MH state counselling at all. Separate counselling, separate fees, separate timeline. Open to all India on NEET UG merit.
Eligibility: Any citizen of India with valid NEET UG score. No domicile requirement. No category reservation (all seats are general merit).

Maharashtra Domicile — 5 Candidature Types

Not all MH domicile candidates are equal. Your "type" determines Home University eligibility.

Type Who qualifies Home University
A Passed SSC + HSC from MH AND domiciled in MH or born in MH Where qualifying exam was passed (university jurisdiction)
B Not Type A, but candidate or parent holds MH domicile certificate Where domicile certificate issuing authority is located
C Not A/B, but parent is Central Govt/PSU employee posted to MH before last date of application Where parent is posted in MH
D Not A/B/C, but parent is MH State Govt/PSU employee or retired employee Where parent is posted, settled (if retired), or last posted (if deputed outside MH)
E MH-Karnataka border area resident, Marathi mother tongue, SSC+HSC from border area Border area university jurisdiction

A candidate can claim only ONE type (A through E). Type A is the standard route. Types B-E are for edge cases. Candidature type determines Home University (HU) allocation — at non-autonomous colleges, 70% seats go to HU and 30% to Other than HU (OHU). Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rule 5.

⚠ Deemed = MCC, not CAP. Do not confuse.
These 14 Maharashtra-based colleges are under MCC Deemed counselling, NOT CAP:
  • DY Patil (Navi Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur) — 3 colleges
  • MGM (Aurangabad, Vashi, Nerul, Navi Mumbai) — 4 colleges
  • Bharati Vidyapeeth (Pune, Sangli) — 2 colleges
  • JNMC Wardha, Krishna Karad, Symbiosis Pune, Rural Medical Loni, Datta Meghe Nagpur
Their seats do not appear in the CAP seat matrix. They have their own fee structure (₹10L–₹27L/yr) and are filled through MCC counselling rounds.
⚠ AIIMS Nagpur = separate AIIMS counselling
AIIMS Nagpur is under the AIIMS counselling process — not CAP, not MCC Deemed. Separate registration, separate timeline, nominal fees (~₹1,600/yr). Do not look for it in CAP data.

Reservation in Government Colleges

Vertical Reservation (60% of sanctioned intake)
SC: 13% · ST: 7% · OBC: 19% · SEBC: 10% · VJ/DT NT(A): 3% · NT(B): 2.5% · NT(C): 3.5% · NT(D): 2%

Total vertical reserved: 60%. OPEN seats are ~40% of sanctioned intake.

EWS: 10% supernumerary (over and above sanctioned intake, per GR dated 31.05.2021). SBC fills from vacant reserved category seats, limited to 2%.
Horizontal (within each category)
Women (W): 30% seats reserved for females within each category · PwD: 5% within respective reserved/general category · Defence: 5% (combined DEF-1/2/3) · Orphan: 1% of CAP seats

The (W) reservation is the most impactful — it creates a parallel track for female candidates. Note: No (W) reservation within Defence, PwD, or Orphan quotas.

How CAP Allotment Works — 6 Stages

Each CAP round runs through these stages sequentially. This is the engine behind seat allocation.

Stage What happens
I All candidates considered by merit. Reserved candidates get general seats if merit allows, else their own category. EWS and Orphan considered for reserved seats first, then general. PwD and Defence filled within their respective category.
II Vacant female-reserved seats in any category are opened to male candidates of the same category.
III Vacant reserved category seats are considered for SBC candidates, limited to 2% of total.
IV All remaining seats allotted to all candidates purely on merit — no reservation applied.
V Remaining vacant state seats opened to All India Candidature candidates.
VI Final stage: remaining vacancies in first year allotted to diploma/D.Voc. candidates by merit.

Stages I-VI run within each CAP round. In R1, only Stages I-II run. In R2/R3, Stages I-IV run. In R4, all six stages execute. Each stage runs with HU and OHU tag first; if seats remain vacant, same stage runs without HU/OHU tag. Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rule 10.

Section 4

Fee Structure (Category-wise)

Maharashtra has one of the sharpest fee differences between categories at the same government college.

Government Colleges — Category-wise Fees

Category Fee / year 4.5yr total (approx) Notes
OPEN / EWS ₹1,62,100 ₹7.3L Standard government fee for unreserved candidates
OBC / SEBC / NT / VJA ₹17,500 ₹79K Heavily subsidized — 90% less than OPEN
SC / ST ₹12,500 ₹56K Most subsidized — 92% less than OPEN
Same college, 13x fee difference
At KEM Mumbai — India's most competitive state college — an OPEN student pays ₹1,62,100/yr while an SC student pays ₹12,500/yr. That's a 13x difference at the exact same college, same classroom, same degree. MH has one of the most progressive fee subsidy structures in India.
OPEN: ₹7.3L total · SC: ₹56K total · Same KEM degree

Private Colleges — FRA-Regulated Fees

College Fee / year 4.5yr total OPEN Closing IQ Closing
KJ Somaiyya Medical College & Research Centre, Mu… ₹12L ₹540L 37,943
Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College, Pune ₹11L ₹492L 52,212
Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai ₹7.9L ₹356L 52,351
Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College & Hospital, Jalga… ₹7.0L ₹315L 56,033
Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education & Rese… ₹34L ₹1526L 58,905 537,550
MIMER Medical College, Pune ₹11L ₹509L 58,905
Dr. Vasantrao Pawar Med. Col. Hosp. & Research Ce… ₹12L ₹538L 61,424
Shri Ramchandra Institute of Medical Sciences Aur… ₹8.5L ₹382L 61,617
Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences & Resea… ₹9.4L ₹425L 66,165
Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital & Researc… ₹10L ₹465L 66,852
Dr. Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundations Medical Col… ₹13L ₹585L 70,481 665,434
Dr. Panjabrao Alias Bhausaheb Deshmukh Memorial M… ₹11L ₹485L 71,923
ACPM Medical College, Dhule ₹8.0L ₹360L 72,111
N. K. P. Salve Instt. of Medical Sciences and Res… ₹13L ₹585L 72,534
SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Cen… ₹13L ₹585L 74,876
B.K.L. Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Ratnagiri ₹12L ₹524L 75,923
Dr. Rajendra Gode Medical College, Amravati ₹7.7L ₹347L 76,406
Indian Institute of Medical Science & Research, J… ₹7.5L ₹338L 79,113
Prakash Institute of Medical Sciences & Research,… ₹8.5L ₹383L 79,132
Parbhani Medical College Parbhani ₹7.5L ₹339L 81,034
Dr. N Y Tasgaonkar Institute of Medical Science K… ₹6.2L ₹280L 81,088
Sindhudurg Shikshan Prasarak Mandal (SSPM) Medica… ₹7.6L ₹344L 82,858
Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences, Palghar, … ₹16L ₹701L 116,654

Private fees regulated by FRA (Fee Regulatory Authority) under the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015. FRA publishes an "Adhoc/Interim fee" before counselling and a "Final fee" later — the final published fee is what you actually pay. Range: ₹6.2L–₹15.6L per year. IQ closing ranks are much higher because the pool is smaller and demand is high.

Reserved categories pay less even at private colleges
Maharashtra's FRA fee structure applies category-wise fees at private colleges too — not just government. OBC/NT/SC students at private colleges pay significantly less than OPEN students at the same private college, same classroom. This is unique to Maharashtra — most states have a single private fee regardless of category. Factor this into your total cost comparison when choosing between states.
Fee Concessions for Reserved Categories
For SC/ST/VJ-DT NT(A)/NT(B)/NT(C)/NT(D)/SBC/OBC/SEBC and EWS candidates: the scheme/mode of concessions and loan scholarship is announced by the Central/State Government. Candidates get only the amount of waiver as notified in circulars issued by the Government Department from time to time, subject to fulfillment of norms and conditions. You must produce requisite certificates from the respective Government Departments to claim fee concession. Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rule 9(5)(c).
Section 5

15% IQ — Non-Domicile Access

The only route into Maharashtra private colleges for non-domicile candidates.

Institutional Quota (IQ) = Your Non-Domicile Route
Every private college in Maharashtra reserves 15% of seats as Institutional Quota. Per the brochure, IQ seats are open to candidates with:
  • Maharashtra State Candidature (Types A-E)
  • All India Candidature (any Indian citizen)
  • Minority Candidature (MH domicile minority community)
  • NRI Candidature (up to 5% of IQ may go to NRI, if approved by appropriate authority)
  • J&K / Ladakh Migrant Candidature

IQ is filled by the institution directly (not through CAP) on the basis of Inter-Se-Merit. No category reservation in IQ. Preference given to MH State candidates over AI candidates, and AI over NRI/OCI/PIO. At Dr. Panjabrao MC Amravati, state OPEN closed at ~72K but IQ closed at ~5.8L.
15% seats · Open to all India · No category reservation · Filled by institution on NEET merit
IQ fees = 3x state quota fees
At most private colleges, IQ fee is approximately 3x the state quota fee. If state quota fee is ₹8L/yr, IQ may be ₹24L/yr. Factor this into your financial planning. IQ is the mechanism — but the price is steep.

Supernumerary Seats (OCI / PIO / Foreign / Gulf)

15% Supernumerary — Separate from IQ
Private colleges may also have 15% supernumerary seats (over and above sanctioned intake) for OCI/PIO/Foreign Students/Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries. Within this: 1/3 reserved for Gulf Country children, 2/3 for OCI/PIO/Foreign students. If seats in either sub-quota remain vacant, they can be filled from the other sub-quota, and then from NRI candidates. These are separate from the 15% IQ and are filled at institution level.
Section 6

Closing Rank Ranges

OPEN closing ranks from CAP 2025 counselling data (R2 consolidated). These are rank ranges — not cutoffs.

Top Government Colleges — OPEN Closing

College OPEN Closing OBC Closing Fee / yr (OPEN) Seats
Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion, Mumbai 4,932 514,309 ₹1.6L 200
Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai 5,799 312,083 ₹1.6L 250
BJ Medical College, Pune 7,370 331,961 ₹1.6L 250
Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai 7,740 18,131 ₹1.6L 150
HBT Medical College & RN Cooper Hospital, Mumbai 9,433 866,901 ₹1.6L 200
Government Medical College L.T. Marg, Near L.T. Marg P… 10,239 22,898 ₹1.6L 50
Rajiv Gandhi Medical College and Chhatrapati Shivaji M… 12,261 820,661 ₹1.6L 100
Government Medical College, Aurangabad 12,668 34,333 ₹1.6L 200
Government Medical College & Hospital, Baramati 15,504 238,678 ₹1.6L 100
Grant Medical College & Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai 16,230 413,489 ₹1.6L 250
Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur 17,336 20,930 ₹1.6L 200
Rajashree Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical … 18,957 26,612 ₹1.6L 150
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram… 20,956 30,391 ₹2.7L 100
Government Medical College, Nashik 21,373 33,237 ₹1.6L 50
Government Medical College, Nagpur 21,394 16,981 ₹1.6L 250
Government Medical College, Miraj 22,252 637,826 ₹1.6L 200
Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College, Nand… 24,250 29,286 ₹1.6L 150
Government Medical College, Latur 25,924 39,952 ₹1.6L 150
Dr Vaishampayan Memorial Medical College, Solapur 26,046 535,353 ₹1.6L 200
Government Medical college and District Hospital, Ratn… 29,093 913,541 ₹1.6L 100

Data from CAP MH R2 (consolidated state counselling data). KEM Mumbai is the most competitive state college in Maharashtra and one of the top in India. All government colleges charge ₹1,62,100/yr for OPEN category. Stray/R4 data is separate and not shown here.

KEM Mumbai — Full Category Breakdown

Every category at Maharashtra's most competitive college. Regular vs Women (W) closing comparison.

Category Regular Closing Seats Women (W) Closing W Seats
OPEN 5,799 32 2,304 19
OBC 312,083 17 5,871 10
SC 46,383 19 24,786 8
ST 110,266 10 110,028 4
EWS 8,500 13 11,035 6
SEBC 371,868 15 6,614 6
NTB 40,050 4
NTC 4,866 6 4,542 2
NTD 4,784 3
VJA 7,555 3 8,419 2

KEM — Special Quotas

Quota Type Closing Rank Seats
PH Persons with Disabilities 622,131 11

Defence and Orphan quotas have very small allocations. PH (PwD) closing ranks are significantly higher because only candidates with disability certificates compete for these seats.

Section 7

Women (W) Advantage

OPEN vs OPEN (W) closing at top government colleges. See where the Women quota makes the biggest difference.

College OPEN Closing OPEN (W) Closing Difference
Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion, Mumbai 4,932 4,843 W is ranks better
Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai 5,799 2,304 W is ranks better
BJ Medical College, Pune 7,370 7,306 W is ranks better
Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai 7,740 7,102 W is ranks better
HBT Medical College & RN Cooper Hospital, Mumbai 9,433 9,248 W is ranks better
Government Medical College L.T. Marg, Near L.T. Marg P… 10,239 10,788 W is ranks wider
Rajiv Gandhi Medical College and Chhatrapati Shivaji M… 12,261 11,628 W is ranks better
Government Medical College, Aurangabad 12,668 14,331 W is ranks wider
Government Medical College & Hospital, Baramati 15,504 14,956 W is ranks better
Grant Medical College & Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai 16,230 8,050 W is ranks better
Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur 17,336 15,091 W is ranks better
Rajashree Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical … 18,957 18,436 W is ranks better
Government Medical College, Nashik 21,373 20,725 W is ranks better
Government Medical College, Nagpur 21,394 10,238 W is ranks better
What the Women (W) data tells us
At most top colleges, OPEN (W) has a better (lower) closing rank than OPEN. This means the women-only pool is more competitive — top female students are concentrated there.

But at Grant Medical College, OPEN closed at 16,230 while OPEN (W) closed at 8,050 — a massive 8,180-rank difference. This happens because more top-ranked women choose Grant (W) over other options.

Takeaway: Female candidates should always evaluate both OPEN and OPEN (W) closing ranks. At some colleges, (W) is easier; at others, it's harder. Strategy matters.
Section 8

Deemed Colleges (MCC)

14 deemed universities in Maharashtra — the most in any state. All under MCC counselling.

Deemed fees are 5x–17x government fees
Deemed university fees range from ₹10L to ₹28.5L per year. Total 4.5-year cost: ₹45L–₹1.28Cr. These fees are set by the university, not FRA. No category reservation — all seats are open/general merit. The trade-off: accessible at higher rank ranges, open to all India.
Section 9

Security Deposits & Bond

CAP counselling registration and seat acceptance deposits.

OPEN / EWS OBC / SEBC / NT / VJA SC / ST
Registration fee ₹5,000 ₹5,000 ₹5,000
Govt seat deposit ₹10,000 ₹5,000 ₹5,000
Private seat deposit ₹2,00,000 ₹2,00,000 ₹2,00,000

Deposits are adjusted against first year's fee on joining. Forfeited if you fail to report within the window. Seat acceptance fee is ₹1,000 (non-refundable processing fee).

Seat Cancellation & Refund Rules

When you cancel What you get back What you lose
Before cutoff date (full refund window) Entire fee refunded ₹1,000 processing charges only
After cutoff date Security Deposit + Caution Money only All tuition and other fees forfeited
After cut-off date (link deactivated) Must apply directly to institution Same as above — no tuition refund
⚠ After cutoff date = you lose everything except deposit
Once you cancel after the full-refund window closes, you only get back Security Deposit and Caution Money Deposit. All tuition fees and other fees are forfeited. The institution cannot recover fees for subsequent years from a student who cancels. Online cancellation link is deactivated after cut-off date — you must apply in writing to the institution. Original documents must be returned within 2 days. Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rule 15.

Bond Rules

1 Year
Govt College Service Bond
Maharashtra government MBBS graduates must serve 1 year in a rural/tribal area post-internship. Failure to serve attracts a penalty. Bond terms are notified at the time of admission.
₹10L+
Bond Penalty
Penalty for not fulfilling the rural service bond. Varies by year and notification. This applies ONLY to government college graduates. Private and deemed graduates have no compulsory service bond.
Section 10

Stories from Data

Patterns we found in the CAP 2025 allotment data.

KEM OPEN (W) < OPEN: Women More Competitive
At KEM, OPEN (W) closed at 2,304 vs OPEN at 2,430. Women had a better closing rank — meaning the top female candidates are extremely competitive. At Grant MC, the gap was 8,180 ranks. The Women (W) quota doesn't always make it easier — at top colleges, it concentrates high-performing women.
NTB/NTC/NTD: Wildly Different Closing Ranks
At KEM, NTB closed at 40,050 but NTC closed at 4,866 — a 10x difference between two nomadic tribe sub-categories at the same college. NTC has more candidates, NTB has fewer. Your specific NT sub-category matters enormously.
IQ: 5L+ Rank Gets You MH Private
Institutional Quota closing ranks at private colleges go up to 5.8L+. If your All India Rank is 3L–6L and you're non-domicile, MH private via IQ is a realistic option. But expect 3x the state quota fee. Financial planning is critical.
14 Deemed = Backup for 30K–70K Ranks
MH's 14 deemed colleges offer seats at rank ranges from ~30K to ~70K+ (UR). These are under MCC, open to all India, and don't need MH domicile. If your rank is 30K–70K, MH deemed is a strong option — especially if you prefer the Mumbai/Pune ecosystem.
SEBC (Maratha) Reservation: New Category
The SEBC category for Marathas is relatively new and creates additional seats beyond OBC. At KEM, SEBC closed at 6,350 vs OBC at 5,799 — similar range but separate allocation. SEBC candidates should NOT list OBC — they are distinct categories.
Defence & Orphan: Small Pool, High Variance
At KEM, Defence quota closing was 15,610 (4 seats) and Orphan was 500,781 (2 seats). These tiny pools have huge year-to-year variance. Don't use a single year's data to predict — the sample is too small. But if you qualify, the opportunity is real.
Section 11

Counselling Timeline

Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling timeline (CET Cell / CAP). Dates approximate based on 2024-25 pattern.

Round Expected Period What happens Auto-freeze rule
Registration Oct–Nov 2025 Online registration on CET Cell portal, document upload, category verification. Max 300 preferences.
CAP Round 1 Nov 2025 First allotment. Report to ARC or do self-scrutiny online + pay seat acceptance fee. 1st preference auto-freezed. Must accept. No further rounds.
CAP Round 2 Dec 2025 Consolidated with R1 exits. R2/R3 stages I-IV run (includes merit-only stage). Can edit options. Top 3 preferences auto-freezed. Others can freeze voluntarily or float for betterment.
CAP Round 3 Jan 2026 Stages I-IV. Seats from R2 exits. Last regular chance for betterment. Top 6 preferences auto-freezed. Others can freeze or float.
CAP Round 4 Jan–Feb 2026 All 6 stages run (including Stage V: AI seats and Stage VI: diploma/D.Voc.). Final round — no further betterment. All allotments are final. No more options.
IQ / Vacant (post-CAP) Feb 2026 IQ seats + vacant CAP seats filled by institutions directly. Merit-based, MH candidates preferred over AI. Final — no transfers after admission.
Freeze vs Float (Betterment)
If you're allotted a seat other than your auto-freeze preference, you can: (a) Freeze — accept this seat as final, no further rounds; or (b) Accept and float — report to ARC, pay acceptance fee, but participate in the next round for betterment. If you get a better allotment, previous seat is auto-cancelled. If not, previous seat is retained. (c) Reject — don't report to ARC at all; you can still participate in the next round but risk getting nothing.
Minority Institution Priority
In minority institutions, minority quota candidates (minimum 51%) are allotted first (Stage I of Rule 10(3)). Then MH state candidates, then AI candidates. Minority institutions can extend their quota up to 100% — they declare the percentage before CAP starts. Linguistic and religious minorities both qualify.

CAP has 4 rounds (not 3). Round 4 is the final round with all 6 allotment stages. Exact dates depend on NEET UG result date, MCC counselling schedule, and Supreme Court directives. CET Cell (cetcell.mahacet.org) notifies the schedule. Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rules 9-11.

Section 12

Document Checklist

Documents required for CAP registration. Missing documents = forfeited allotment. No exceptions after scheduled dates.

All Candidates (Mandatory)

  1. SSC (Std. X) mark sheet
  2. HSC / 10+2 mark sheet
  3. NEET UG score card
  4. School Leaving Certificate (if needed to substantiate claim)
  5. Certificate of Indian Nationality

Additional Documents by Category

Category Additional documents
Type A (standard MH domicile) Domicile / Birth / Leaving certificate showing place of birth in Maharashtra
Type B (parent domiciled) Domicile certificate of candidate / father / mother
Type C (Central Govt parent) Employer certificate (Proforma A) confirming posting in MH + transfer order + joining report
Type D (MH State Govt parent) Employer certificate (Proforma B-1) or undertaking with settlement proof for retired (Proforma B-2) + pension pay order
Type E (MH-Karnataka border) Border area certificate (Proforma G1) + Marathi mother tongue certificate (Proforma G2)
SC / ST Caste/Tribe certificate + Caste/Tribe validity certificate
OBC / SEBC / VJ-DT / NT(B/C/D) / SBC Caste certificate + Caste validity certificate + Non-creamy layer certificate valid up to 31st March 2026
EWS EWS eligibility certificate (Proforma V) valid for 2025-26
Defence (DEF-1/2/3) Defence Service Certificate (Proforma C) + MH domicile of parent (DEF-1/2) or employer posting certificate (Proforma D/E for DEF-3). Not for civilian staff.
PwD Disability certificate (min 40%, permanent) from competent authority + MH domicile certificate
Orphan Orphan Certificate (Proforma U)
Minority Declaration of linguistic/religious minority community (Proforma O) or leaving certificate with religion/mother tongue + MH domicile certificate
⚠ Missing documents = seat forfeited. No second chances.
If you are allotted a seat based on a claim in your application (category, domicile, etc.) and fail to produce supporting documents at ARC or self-scrutiny, your allotment is automatically cancelled and the seat goes to the next round. No document is accepted after the scheduled date. Upload all documents at the time of filling the application form itself (JPG/GIF, min 150 dpi, up to 1 MB). Source: MH CET Cell Brochure 2025-26, Rule 17.
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