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The NEET UG 2026 counseling process has reached its most important stage for admission to 85 percent state quota seats of MBBS and BDS in government and private medical and dental colleges of Uttar Pradesh. In this online counseling conducted by the Directorate General of Medical Education and Training, Uttar Pradesh (DGME UP), thousands of successful medical candidates from across the state are competing to secure their rank, preferred college and seat.
Under the first phase of counseling (Round-1), the window for online registration, uploading necessary educational and caste certificates on the portal, depositing registration fee and mandatory security money has been active on the official portal upneet.gov.in. The Directorate General has clarified that the names of only those candidates will be included in the official merit list of the state, whose online registration and fee verification has been successfully completed within the stipulated time limit. As soon as this phase is over, the process of releasing the state merit list and choice filling will be started.
Mathematics of registration and inheritance amount: Rules fixed for government and private colleges
Candidates participating in UP NEET UG counseling have to pay two different types of fees through online mode (Net Banking/Debit Card/Credit Card/UPI):
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Registration Fee: There is a non-refundable registration fee of ₹2,000 for all categories of candidates.
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Deposit amount for government medical and dental seats: Candidates who want admission only to the seats of Government Medical and Dental Colleges of Uttar Pradesh have to deposit a security money of ₹30,000.
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Deposit amount for Private Medical Colleges: It is mandatory for candidates appearing in counseling for MBBS seats in private medical colleges of the state to deposit a security money of ₹ 2,00,000 (Rs two lakh). With this amount, candidates can opt for both government and private medical colleges.
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Deposit amount for Private Dental Colleges: This amount is fixed at ₹1,00,000 (Rs one lakh) only for candidates wishing to take admission in private sector BDS courses.
The Directorate General has given a special warning to the candidates and parents that they should pay the security money only from their own or their parents’ personal bank account. When payment is made through a cyber café or external agent account, if the candidate is not allotted a seat or becomes eligible for a refund, the refund amount is credited back to the original account, which may lead to financial complications in future.
Strict rules for state merit list and reservation: Cut-off date of April 1, 2026 mandatory
‘UP State Combined Merit List’ will be released by DGME UP after the completion of the process of registration and fee verification. In this merit list, state level rank is decided on the basis of All India NEET rank of the domicile candidates of the state and eligible candidates from other states.
The Uttar Pradesh government has set very strict guidelines regarding the rules of reservation:
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OBC (NCL) and EWS Certificate: Caste and income certificate of candidates availing the benefit of reservation under Other Backward Class (Non-Creamy Layer) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of Uttar Pradesh by the competent authority. On or after 1st April 2026 Must have been issued. On production of certificate older than this date, the candidate will automatically be converted into General/Unreserved category.
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Domicile Certificate: For candidates who have passed both their High School (10th) and Intermediate (12th) examinations from outside Uttar Pradesh, it is mandatory to produce valid domicile certificate of the state.
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Horizontal Reservation: Women candidates (20%), Persons with Disabilities (5% PwD), Dependents of Freedom Fighters (2%), Ex-Servicemen (2%) and NCC-C certificate holders (1%) will be given the benefit of horizontal reservation within their respective parent category.
Choice filling and mandatory ‘choice locking’: A little carelessness can lead to cancellation of candidature
After the name appears in the state merit list, the most technical phase of counseling ‘Choice Filling’ will start. By logging into the portal, candidates have to select the options of medical and dental colleges as per their preference.
Key points to keep in mind during choice filling:
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Order of Preference: Choose colleges based on your actual preference. Keep the most preferred college at number one and then other options.
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Choice locking is mandatory: After filling the options, it is mandatory to lock them through OTP within the prescribed time limit. If a candidate leaves only by saving the choices and does not lock them, his/her choice data will not be accepted by the system and he/she will automatically be out of the seat allotment process.
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No modifications after locking: Once a choice is locked, it will not be possible to change, add or delete it under any circumstances.
Scenario of medical seats in Uttar Pradesh: From KGMU to new autonomous medical colleges
The number of government medical seats under the ‘One District, One Medical College’ scheme in Uttar Pradesh has seen an unprecedented expansion in the last few years. Apart from top and reputed government institutions like King George Medical University (KGMU Lucknow), Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS Lucknow), GSVM Medical College Kanpur, SN Medical College Agra, MLB Jhansi, LLRM Meerut, BRD Gorakhpur and MLN Prayagraj, MBBS seats are available in dozens of new Autonomous State Medical Colleges in the state.
Even in the private sector, thousands of seats will be filled through counseling in institutions like Sharda University Greater Noida, Rohilkhand Medical College Bareilly, Muzaffarnagar Medical College, Era Medical College Lucknow and Hind Institute of Medical Sciences. Due to this huge seat matrix, the chances of admission into government and recognized private colleges of both middle and higher ranked students of the state are quite strong this year.
Seat allotment result and protocol of reporting at nodal centers
After the choice locking process is over, the first phase seat allotment result (Round-1 Seat Allotment Result) will be declared through computer based algorithm.
The process after allotment will be as follows:
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Allotment Letter Download: Selected candidates will download their seat allotment letter from upneet.gov.in portal.
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Document Verification and Reporting: Candidates seeking seats in Government Medical Colleges will have to visit the premises of the concerned allotted Government College to verify the original documents and complete the admission formalities. At the same time, candidates getting seats in private medical or dental colleges will have to appear at the district nodal centers designated by the government to get their original certificates checked and submit the draft of the prescribed tuition fee.
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Upgrade Option (Free Exit & Upgrade): If the candidates who get seats in the first round are not satisfied, then they can opt for upgradation in the second round after taking admission under the prescribed rules.
Checklist of original documents required for candidates
At the time of reporting at the college or nodal centre, it is mandatory for the candidates to carry all the following original certificates along with 2 self-attested photocopies and passport size photograph:
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NEET UG 2026 Admit Card and Original Scorecard (Rank Card).
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High school (10th) marksheet and certificate (for date of birth verification).
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Intermediate (12th) mark sheet and passing certificate.
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UP NEET UG 2026 Registration Slip and receipt of security money payment.
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Seat Allotment Letter.
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Domicile Certificate – if applicable.
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Caste certificate (OBC/SC/ST) and EWS certificate (after April 1, 2026).
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Sub-Category Certificate (NCC/FF/Ex-Army/PwD – if applicable).
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Aadhar Card, PAN Card or any other valid photo identity card.
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Minimum 8 to 10 passport size color photographs (same as used in NEET application form).
Technical support and official helpline: Beware of touts and misleading claims
In case of any technical problem, fee transaction failure or OTP not received during the counseling process, the Medical Education Department has issued special technical helpline numbers:
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Helpline Number: 8189011696, 8189011697, 8189011698, 8189011699, 8189011700
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Email Support: [email protected]
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Official Websites: upneet.gov.in and dgme.up.gov.in
The Directorate General has strongly advised the candidates and parents not to fall prey to unauthorized agents and brokers making promises of backdoor entry, donation or direct admission. Admission to 100% medical and dental seats in Uttar Pradesh is possible only through NEET UG merit and transparent online counseling process. All the candidates should complete their process on time and keep an eye on the official portal regularly for any latest updates.