Maharashtra NEET UG Counselling 2026 has moved beyond the CAP Round 2 joining deadline. The Round 2 provisional selection list was released for MBBS/BDS admissions, and allotted candidates were required to complete physical joining at the allotted college by 5:30 PM on September 18, 2026. The same deadline applied to submission of the Status Retention Form where applicable.
That deadline has now passed. Candidates should no longer treat September 18 as an open reporting window. The immediate task depends on what happened before the cutoff: candidates who completed admission should preserve their official admission proof and verify their current candidate record, while candidates who did not complete joining should check the Maharashtra State CET Cell and official NEET-UG portal for the next applicable counselling instruction rather than assuming late reporting or automatic participation in another round.
Direct answer: Maharashtra CAP Round 2 joining is closed under the published schedule. If you joined before the deadline, verify that your admission, fee payment, document verification and any Status Retention Form are reflected correctly. If you did not complete joining, do not assume the Round 2 seat is still available or that late reporting is permitted; wait for the next official Maharashtra counselling notice and check your candidate-specific status.
What is the current Maharashtra NEET UG Round 2 status?
| CAP Round 2 activity | Current state | What candidates should do |
|---|---|---|
| Choice/preference filling | Closed | The Round 2 preference window has ended. |
| Round 2 provisional selection list | Released | Use the official Maharashtra candidate portal or selection record to verify your allotment. |
| Physical joining | Closed after Sep 18, 5:30 PM | Do not treat the previous reporting window as still available. |
| Status Retention Form | Sep 18, 5:30 PM deadline passed | If submitted, retain proof and verify the admission record. Do not submit or rely on a late form unless the authority expressly permits it. |
| Next Maharashtra MBBS/BDS counselling stage | Await current official Maharashtra notice | Check the State CET Cell and dedicated NEET-UG portal for the next applicable state-counselling instruction. |
Was the Maharashtra NEET UG Round 2 selection list released?
Yes. Current reporting on the Maharashtra process confirms that the CAP Round 2 provisional selection list for MBBS/BDS was released on September 12, 2026.
The selection list and candidate portal are the relevant sources for allotment status. A cutoff prediction, college list or third-party rank estimate does not establish an individual candidate’s actual allotment.
When did Maharashtra Round 2 joining close?
The published Round 2 schedule placed physical joining from September 13 through September 18, 2026, up to 5:30 PM, with September 14 excluded. Current reporting also identifies September 18 at 5:30 PM as the deadline for the Status Retention Form at the allotted college.
Because the deadline has passed, candidates should not travel to a college or make a consequential payment on the assumption that routine Round 2 reporting remains open. Any late or exceptional route would need to come from a current CET Cell, admission-portal or allotted-college instruction applicable to that candidate.
What should you check if you completed Round 2 joining?
- Keep the official allotment or selection record.
- Keep the college admission receipt and fee-payment proof.
- Keep acknowledgement of original-document verification.
- If you submitted a Status Retention Form, preserve proof of submission.
- Check the official candidate portal for your current admission or counselling status.
- Follow the allotted college’s current academic, hostel and document instructions.
Do not rely only on an application screenshot or payment attempt. The strongest evidence is the current official candidate record together with the admission documents issued by the allotted college.
What if you were allotted a Round 2 seat but did not join by the deadline?
Do not assume that the seat remains available after the published reporting deadline.
The sources reviewed do not establish a general Maharashtra late-reporting window after the September 18 cutoff. Check your official candidate status and the latest Maharashtra State CET Cell notice before deciding whether you remain eligible for a later counselling stage.
If your case involves a portal error, payment problem, document issue or another candidate-specific dispute, preserve screenshots, transaction records, acknowledgement numbers and any communication from the allotted college or CET Cell. Use the official counselling assistance route for clarification rather than relying on an unofficial promise that the seat can still be restored.
What if you completed joining but your portal status looks wrong?
Compare the portal state with the documents you received from the allotted college. Keep your admission receipt, fee-payment evidence, allotment record and any Status Retention Form acknowledgement.
If the official candidate record conflicts with completed admission formalities, contact the allotted college and the Maharashtra counselling authority using the current official assistance route. Do not cancel another confirmed admission or make a new irreversible counselling decision until the discrepancy is clarified.
What does the Status Retention Form mean?
The Status Retention Form is used by a candidate who accepts the allotted seat under the applicable Maharashtra counselling rules and elects to retain that admission.
Current Round 2 reporting places the Status Retention Form deadline at September 18, 2026, up to 5:30 PM. Candidates should rely on the official counselling brochure, their college and their own candidate record for the exact consequence of a submitted retention form.
Do not assume that an unsigned form, an unsubmitted form or a late form has the same effect as a validly completed retention process.
Can candidates still change Round 2 preferences?
No. The Round 2 preference window closed before the allotment and reporting stages. It is no longer the operative candidate action.
A portal remaining technically reachable does not prove that Round 2 choices can still be changed. Only a current CET Cell notice could establish a reopened or revised preference window.
What happened to the caste-validity relaxation?
The Round 2 process included conditional relief for certain reserved-category candidates affected by Caste Validity Certificate requirements.
Current reporting described the relief as applying to eligible candidates who had already submitted a receipt or other proof showing that they had applied for a Caste Validity Certificate and who otherwise satisfied the applicable requirements.
It should not be read as a blanket category change for every reserved-category candidate. The current candidate record and CET Cell instructions remain controlling for individual category, merit and admission treatment.
Does an earlier merit position still control?
Candidates should rely on the latest official candidate record, selection list or revised merit information applicable to their case rather than an older saved merit-list screenshot.
Where the Round 2 revision or caste-validity relief affected merit or category treatment, the newer official state should control the candidate’s decision.
What if you already held a Round 1 seat?
Your current position depends on the Maharashtra counselling rules attached to your Round 1 admission, Round 2 participation, any upgraded allotment and any retention decision already made.
Do not infer that a Round 1 seat was automatically retained, surrendered or upgraded merely from participation in Round 2. Check your current candidate record and official admission documents before taking another irreversible action.
When does Maharashtra NEET UG Round 3 start?
TPS did not recover a newer Maharashtra-specific official MBBS/BDS Round 3 notice from the State CET Cell surfaces reviewed on September 18 that was strong enough to replace the current post-Round-2 answer.
National counselling timelines and third-party schedules should not be substituted for a Maharashtra-specific state notice. Candidates who need the next CAP stage should monitor the official State CET Cell and Maharashtra NEET-UG admission portal for the applicable Round 3 or subsequent vacancy schedule.
How is Maharashtra counselling different from MCC counselling?
Maharashtra State CET Cell administers the Maharashtra state counselling process for applicable MBBS and BDS seats. MCC administers All India Quota and other centrally managed counselling categories.
Their schedules, results, reporting rules and candidate records are separate. An MCC Round 3 date does not by itself establish the Maharashtra CAP Round 3 date.
For MCC-specific guidance, see NEET UG 2026 counselling update and MCC choice filling and locking explained.
What proves your current Maharashtra counselling status?
| Record | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Candidate portal status | Your current candidate-specific counselling and admission state. |
| Round 2 selection/allotment record | The seat, college and course provisionally allotted to your candidate record. |
| College admission receipt | Evidence that physical admission formalities were completed at the allotted institution. |
| Fee-payment proof | Evidence of the payment completed for admission, subject to the college’s final verification. |
| Status Retention Form acknowledgement | Evidence of retention submission where applicable. |
| Latest CET Cell notice | The controlling statewide schedule or process change for the next counselling stage. |
Official and current sources
- Maharashtra State CET Cell CAP 2026–27
- Maharashtra State CET Cell NEET UG 2026 portal route
- Maharashtra NEET-UG 2026 candidate portal
- Maharashtra DMER medical-admission notices
Verification
ThePulseSignal checked the Maharashtra State CET Cell and DMER admission surfaces on September 18, 2026, and reviewed current reporting on the Round 2 result and reporting deadline. The Round 2 provisional selection list was reported released on September 12. The reporting and Status Retention Form deadline was September 18, 2026, up to 5:30 PM.
No newer Maharashtra-specific official MBBS/BDS Round 3 schedule was recovered from the official surfaces reviewed strongly enough to state a new state-counselling deadline as confirmed.
Last verified: September 18, 2026.
Limitations
- The official candidate portal remains controlling for individual allotment, joining, merit, category, retention and admission status.
- The current review did not independently inspect every candidate-specific admission record.
- No general late-reporting route after the September 18, 5:30 PM Round 2 deadline was established in the reviewed evidence.
- No newer Maharashtra-specific official MBBS/BDS Round 3 schedule was recovered strongly enough to publish as confirmed.
- The Caste Validity Certificate relief remains conditional and should not be interpreted as applying to every reserved-category candidate.
- Maharashtra CAP schedules and MCC schedules are separate and should not be substituted for one another.
