The Selection Committee, Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Tamil Nadu, has extended the deadline for round 1 online counselling registration, choice filling and choice locking for NEET UG 2026 admissions to MBBS and BDS courses. Candidates can now complete these steps till 5 PM on August 20, 2026, according to a notification (Ref No. 18082026005928) issued on August 18 and published on the official portal, tnmedicalselection.net. The process was originally scheduled to close on August 19.
Key Highlights
- Round 1 registration, choice filling, and choice locking deadline extended from August 19 to 5 PM on August 20, 2026.
- Notification issued on August 18, 2026, by the Selection Committee, DME, Tamil Nadu.
- Registration and choice filling began on August 13, 2026, at 12 noon.
- The extension follows the release of the provisional merit list on August 10, 2026.
- Government quota candidates were ranked from general rank 1 to 35,926, with NEET UG scores between 705 and 177.
- Management quota eligibility extended up to general rank 26,956, covering scores between 693 and 177.
- Candidates must pay the applicable registration fee before locking choices; the fee is non-refundable.
- Seat allotment processing and the round 1 result are expected to move by a day as a result of the extension, though the Selection Committee has not issued a separate notice revising these specific dates.
What the Notification Says
The one-day extension applies to three linked steps of round 1: online registration, choice filling and choice locking. All three must now be completed by candidates before 5 PM on August 20, 2026, through the official counselling portal. The notification does not specify a reason for the extension.
This is the first extension issued for TN NEET UG Round 1 counselling 2026. Registration and choice filling had opened on August 13 at 12 noon, giving candidates roughly a week before the original August 19 cut-off.
Revised Round 1 Schedule
| Process | Date |
|---|---|
| Provisional merit list release | August 10, 2026 |
| Registration, fee payment and choice filling begin | August 13, 2026, 12 noon |
| Registration, choice filling and choice locking (extended) | Till 5 PM, August 20, 2026 |
| Seat allotment processing | Expected August 21, 2026 |
| Round 1 result | Expected August 22, 2026 |
Eligibility and Quota-Wise Ranks
Round 1 counselling covers seats in government medical and dental colleges, self-financing institutions under the government quota, ESIC Medical College, Christian Medical College Vellore, and NRI and minority quota seats in private institutions. Based on the provisional merit list published on August 10, candidates up to general rank 35,926 (NEET UG scores 705 to 177) are eligible under the government quota, while management quota eligibility extends to general rank 26,956 (scores 693 to 177).
Registration Fees
Candidates applying under the government quota must pay a non-refundable registration fee of ₹500, while management quota candidates pay ₹1,000. Additionally, candidates allotted seats are required to pay a security deposit ranging from ₹30,000 for government quota self-financing seats to ₹1,00,000 for management quota seats. SC/ST candidates with family income below ₹2.5 lakh are exempted from the security deposit.
What Candidates Should Do Now
Candidates who have not yet registered or filled their choices should complete the process before the new 5 PM deadline on August 20. Those who have already filled choices can still edit and re-lock their preferences within the extended window. Choices once locked after the deadline cannot be modified for round 1.
Official Website and Important Links
- Official notification portal: tnmedicalselection.net
- Extension notification (Ref No. 18082026005928): tnmedicalselection.net/news/18082026005928.pdf
- TN NEET UG counselling registration portal: counug.tnmedicalonline.co.in/ugmedgq
