The National Medical Commission has released a revised seat matrix for undergraduate MBBS courses for the 2026 27 academic year. The latest update increases the total approved MBBS intake to 1,40,664 seats across 839 medical colleges in India. The figures exclude seats in Institutes of National Importance and are relevant to the ongoing NEET UG 2026 admission and counselling process.
According to the latest NMC data, 1,27,028 MBBS seats have been renewed, while 13,636 seats have been increased for the 2026 27 academic session. The revised matrix covers both government and private medical colleges and reflects approvals and intake changes made through the regulatory process.
The government medical college sector has 64,121 approved MBBS seats. This includes 61,185 renewed seats and 2,936 increased seats. Private medical colleges account for 76,543 seats, comprising 65,843 renewed seats and 10,700 increased seats. Together, these categories bring the total approved intake to 1,40,664 MBBS seats.
The revised figure is an increase from the previous MBBS seat matrix released earlier in September. The earlier matrix listed 1,40,214 seats across 836 colleges. The latest update therefore raises the approved seat count by 450 and the number of colleges covered by the matrix from 836 to 839.
The NMC update is particularly relevant to candidates participating in NEET UG 2026 counselling because the approved seat matrix determines the intake capacity that medical colleges can offer for the academic year. The Medical Counselling Committee is conducting the All India counselling process, and its current UG counselling section contains seat related notices and updated counselling information.
Among the major states, Karnataka has 15,745 MBBS seats in the revised matrix, followed by Tamil Nadu with 14,299 seats, Uttar Pradesh with 14,400 seats and Maharashtra with 13,399 seats. Telangana has 10,500 seats, while Rajasthan has 8,280 seats. These figures include the approved government and private college intake listed in the NMC state wise matrix.
Tamil Nadu has 78 medical colleges included in the latest matrix, comprising 37 government colleges and 41 private colleges. The state has 13,049 renewed seats and 1,250 increased seats, taking its total approved MBBS intake to 14,299 seats. Karnataka has 76 colleges and 1,650 increased seats, taking its total intake to 15,745.
Maharashtra has 89 medical colleges with a total approved intake of 13,399 MBBS seats. The state has 700 increased seats in the latest matrix. Uttar Pradesh has 92 medical colleges and 14,400 approved MBBS seats, including 1,200 increased seats.
The NMC has also specified that medical colleges must admit students only against the number of seats approved for the relevant academic year. Admissions made beyond the sanctioned intake can be treated as non compliance with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and the regulations issued under it. The commission has warned that institutions violating the approved intake may face regulatory and penal action.
The latest seat matrix is not necessarily the final version in every circumstance. The NMC notice states that the matrix remains subject to revision based on decisions of the Appeal Committee or another competent authority. The commission has also asked that discrepancies or omissions in the published matrix be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities for examination and appropriate action.
For NEET UG 2026 candidates, the revised matrix provides the latest approved information on MBBS intake before making counselling choices. However, the number of approved seats in a state or college does not mean that every seat will be available through a single counselling route. Seat allocation can depend on the applicable counselling authority, category, quota, eligibility requirements and the counselling round.
The Medical Counselling Committee has already published several NEET UG 2026 counselling updates, including Round 1 and Round 2 results, newly added seats and vacancy related information. Candidates taking part in All India counselling should therefore check the latest MCC notices and the applicable seat matrix before filling or modifying their choices.
Candidates should also remember that the NMC seat matrix and the counselling seat matrix serve related but distinct purposes. The NMC establishes the approved intake capacity of medical colleges, while counselling authorities publish seats available for particular counselling rounds based on the applicable admission rules and quotas.
The revised NMC figures therefore represent an important update for medical aspirants seeking MBBS admission through NEET UG 2026. Candidates should rely on the latest official NMC and MCC notifications rather than older seat matrices or unofficial college lists when assessing available MBBS seats.