MBBS candidates can upgrade colleges until the third round of counseling.

However, there is a risk of losing the deposit.

Mumbai: The Centre's Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has decided to allow students to upgrade their choice of colleges up to the third phase of the counseling process, which might provide relief to lakhs of medical aspirants throughout the country. Since 2018, the DGHS Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) has only allowed options to be upgraded until round two.

This meant that students were trapped with the seats assigned to them in the second round and did not have the opportunity to try their luck in the third round, even if better seats were available. In actuality, the third round was only open to pupils who had no seats. 

Parents welcomed the move stating that this would act as a deterrent for students who unnecessarily block seats. The MCC conducts four admission rounds in all The change in policy, how- ever, comes with a rider: if students do not join the seats allotted to them in the second or third round, they will lose their refundable deposit amount, which is Rs 10,000 for the all-India quota seats and central institutions and Rs 2 lakh for deemed universities. Parents, however, wel- comed the move stating that this would act as a deterrent block seats.

The previous approach, which had been in effect for five years, has been discontinued in order to provide students with the benefit of the third round, often known as the mopup round. This is also to ensure that deserving students do not miss out on a seat of their choice, according to a Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare official. The MCC has four entrance rounds in total. The NEET-UG counseling process will begin on Thursday for admissions to the 15% all-India quota seats, deemed and central institutions, and all AIIMS and JIPMER.

In another significant decision, the directorate has stated that students who are assigned seats in the fourth and final round and do not attend will be disqualified from participating in the NEET-UG admissions process for two years and will lose their deposit money. The admission rules were disclosed in the MCC's brochure for all-India quota admissions, which was distributed on Tuesday.

According to a parent, the adjustments will benefit kids because seats in top-tier government colleges are frequently vacant after two rounds and are made accessible in the third round. "With no chance to up- grade, meritorious students were deprived from choosing these seats and students with lower merit ranks were getting the benefit, he said.

After the second round, there was no way out. Students can now not only improve their choices for the third round, but those who do not have seats can also register for the fourth round," said parent advocate Sudha Shenoy. Only students who do not have a seat are eligible for the stray round. After the second round, no seats will be returned to the states, as was the case last year.