NEET‑UG 2026 counseling phases, deadlines and verification dates clarified

The second round of AIQ counseling is scheduled between August 24 and September 2, while the second round for state quotas will be held from August 31 to September 8. After the third round of counseling, the final deadline for both AIQ and state‑quota applications is October 10. NTA also reminded institutions to treat Saturdays, Sundays and gazetted holidays as working days to keep the process on track.