J&K NEET UG 2026 stray-round online counselling is open from October 17 at 11:30 AM until October 18 at midnight. The J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations has invited eligible candidates to submit fresh preferences for vacant MBBS and BDS seats in government and private institutions.

JKBOPEE issued Notification No. 231-BOPEE of 2026 on October 16 after receiving shortfall details from participating colleges. Previous-round preferences will not be carried forward, so every eligible candidate who wants an allotment in this round must fill a new preference form during the notified window.

What JKBOPEE announced

The online stray round is being conducted to fill MBBS and BDS seats that remained vacant after the earlier counselling process. The notice covers institutions in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and sets a short, two-day window for participation.

JKBOPEE has not included a college-wise vacancy count in Notification 231. It will upload the seat matrix separately, and candidates have been told to study that matrix before choosing institutions.

J&K NEET UG 2026 stray-round schedule

Who is eligible for the stray round?

JKBOPEE has identified three main eligible groups. A candidate may participate if no seat was allotted in any previous round, if a seat was allotted but the candidate did not join that institution, or if the candidate qualified NEET UG 2026 but did not participate in the earlier counselling rounds.

Candidates who have already joined and are holding a seat are generally not eligible. The notice, however, creates a specific cross-course exception: a candidate holding a BDS seat may compete only for MBBS seats in this round, while a candidate holding an MBBS seat may compete for BDS seats.

Counselling fee for new participants

A NEET UG 2026-qualified candidate who did not participate in any previous round must pay a counselling fee of INR 1,500 and then fill preferences. The notice does not describe a new fee for every previously registered candidate, so applicants should read the payment status shown in their own login rather than paying through an unofficial link.

All listed vacancies are Open Merit seats

The Board states that reserved-category vacancies remaining during the mop-up round were converted to Open Merit under the cited provision of the J&K Reservation Act, 2004. As a result, all seats available for this stray round are being treated as Open Merit seats.

This point affects how candidates should read the separate vacancy matrix. A category label from an earlier round should not be assumed to continue into the stray-round matrix.

Fresh preferences are compulsory

Preferences submitted in previous rounds are cancelled for this round. A candidate who does not fill a fresh preference form will not be considered for allotment and cannot claim a seat filled from among participating candidates.

1. Check eligibility based on the result of the earlier rounds and whether any allotted seat was joined.
2. Review the separately published seat matrix before ranking colleges.
3. Enter only choices that you are prepared to accept and join.
4. Submit the fresh preferences before midnight on October 18.
5. Keep a copy or screenshot of the submitted choice order and payment status.

Allotment and joining rules

JKBOPEE warns that a seat once allotted in this process cannot be changed. If an allotted candidate does not complete joining within the period later notified by the Board, the allotment will be cancelled and the candidate's claim to that seat will end.

Candidates should therefore avoid listing an institution only as a placeholder. The safest approach is to rank only the MBBS or BDS options that can realistically be accepted after considering location, fee structure and reporting requirements.

Seat matrix will be released separately

The October 16 notification does not provide the number of vacant seats or the institution-wise distribution. Candidates should use the seat matrix uploaded by JKBOPEE for this specific stray round and should not rely on an older mop-up vacancy list.

The official updates are available through jkbopee.gov.in. Candidates should recheck the portal for the seat matrix, allotment result and joining instructions because the notification leaves those later-stage details to separate updates.