Karnataka UGNEET 2026 Opens Special Stray Vacancy Round

KEA opens an extended special stray vacancy round for 47 Karnataka MBBS seats under UGNEET 2026, requiring a ₹25 lakh caution deposit and option entry by November 13.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has opened an extended special stray vacancy round for undergraduate medical admissions under Karnataka UGNEET 2026 counseling. The additional round aims to fill 47 vacant MBBS seats remaining after the earlier special stray vacancy allotment for the 2026–27 academic sessions. Eligible candidates can submit their college preferences through the KEA portal until November 13, 2026, at 10 AM.

The decision follows the previous special stray vacancy round, during which KEA allotted 148 medical and 21 dental seats out of 195 available vacancies. While all dental seats have been filled, 47 MBBS seats remain unallotted. These include 15 management quota seats in government medical colleges.

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Candidates seeking to participate in the extended round must pay a mandatory caution deposit of ₹25 lakh. KEA schedules the payment window for November 12, 2026; from 10:30 AM to 4 PM. Candidates who have already completed the required deposit formalities should follow the instructions in the official notification.

The option-entry facility becomes available after the required payment. Applicants must log in to the KEA website, access the UGNEET 2026 extended special stray vacancy option-entry link and arrange their preferred medical colleges in order of priority. They should carefully review and submit their choices before the deadline.

KEA has scheduled the extended counselling process over November 12 and 13. The caution deposit payment window closes at 4 PM on November 12, while candidates can enter their preferences until 10 AM on November 13. The seat allotment result is scheduled for publication after 12:30 PM on November 13.

Candidates who receive an allotment must follow the admission instructions issued by KEA, complete the prescribed fee payment and reporting formalities, and join the allotted medical college within the specified timeline. Applicants should review the seat matrix and eligibility conditions before entering their preferences.

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Eligible candidates must visit the official KEA website open the UGNEET 2026 section. After logging in, they can access the extended special stray vacancy option-entry link, select available MBBS colleges and arrange their preferences. Candidates must save and submit the choices and retain a copy of the submitted options for reference.

The extended round provides another opportunity to eligible NEET UG candidates seeking medical admission in Karnataka. KEA advises applicants to follow the official notification for deposit requirements, seat availability, and allotment and admission procedures.