NEET 2021 : MCC Conducts 4 Rounds of AIQ Counselling

NEET 2021 : MCC Conducts 4 Rounds of AIQ Counselling 
NEET counselling for All India Quota (AIQ) medical seats will be conducted in four rounds starting from 2021, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has informed. This will be applicable for 50 per cent postgraduate seats and 15 per cent undergraduate seats that come under the central pool. The Supreme Court of India has approved the new counselling scheme of the MCC. MCC NEET Counselling 2021 will be in four rounds – AIQ round 1, AIQ round 2, AIQ mop-up round and AIQ stray vacancy round.
Here are the other changes in the NEET counselling process approved by the top court:
•    All India quota seats that were earlier reverted back to states after round 2 counselling will now continue to be filled in the mop up and stray vacancy rounds.
•    Fresh registration will be allowed in the first three rounds and not in the stray vacancy round.
•    The options for upgradation and free exit will be available only in the first round of NEET counselling. Candidates can not apply for upgradation of seats if they are allotted one in the second round and so on.
•    Candidates who join the allotted seat in round 2 or in the further rounds will not be allowed to resign from the seat or participate in the further counselling rounds.
•    However, candidates who do not take admission in the second round can apply in the mop-up round if they forfeit the security deposit and register again.
These changes will be implemented for both NEET UG and PG counselling , from the 2021-22 academic year, the MCC said in the affidavit.
The apex court's direction comes after two Kerala students, who secured comparatively higher marks in NEET 2020 were denied admission to MBBS because first, there were only two rounds of counselling and second, vacant seats after round 2 were sent back to state (in their case, students under state quota got admission even while having lesser marks).
The Supreme Court has allowed the committee to conduct two more rounds including mop-up and stray vacancy round whereas earlier there were only two rounds, in total.
A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai, and BV Nagarathna also directed that seats remaining vacant after the completion of the second round will not be sent back to state and rather filled up in the next two rounds.
NEET 2021: AIQ counselling process
•    In the affidavit filed by MCC in Kerala High Court, the changed AIQ counselling process is as follows:
•    MCC will conduct 4 rounds of counselling - AIQ Round 1, AIQ Round 2, AIQ Mop-up round, and AIQ stray vacancy round.
•    Remaining seats after completion of Round 2 will be filled in mop-up and stray vacancy round by MCC in online mode.
•    The four rounds will only be conducted for AIQ seats having All India character which are contributed by states for 15% UG and 50% PG seats.
•    Fresh candidates will only be allowed in the first three rounds and not in the stray vacancy round.
•    Candidates will be given an option for upgradation and free exit only in Round 1
•    Candidates who join the allotted seat in Round 1 will not be allowed to resign and will be ineligible for participating in further rounds of counseling.
•    Candidates who do not join the allotted seat in Round 2 will be eligible for further rounds of counselling by paying a security deposit and fresh registration in mop-up round only