Tamil Nadu MBBS Round 2 Counselling: 150 New Seats and 100 Increased Seats Added Mid-Round

The Selection Committee at the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Chennai has issued an urgent notification adding a fresh batch of MBBS seats directly into the ongoing Round 2 online counselling process for the 2026-27 session. This mid-round addition affects every candidate currently participating in Round 2 choice filling, since it opens up options that were not available when many candidates first submitted their preferences, and the committee has explicitly permitted candidates to revise their already-locked choices in response.

What the Notification Actually Confirms

Dated 9th September 2026, the notification explains that the Selection Committee has just received the required regulatory approvals and Letters of Permission from the National Medical Commission and the university for additional MBBS intake at specific institutions. Rather than holding these seats back for a later round, the committee has chosen to fold them directly into the counselling cycle already underway.

• Madha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Chennai, a self-financing institution, has received 50 additional seats as an increase to its existing approved intake

• Arunai Medical College and Hospital, Tiruvannamalai, also self-financing, has similarly received 50 additional seats as an increase to its existing intake

• APS Medical College Hospital, Mevaloorkuppam, Kancheepuram, a newly established self-financing institution, has received its initial intake approval of 150 seats under a fresh Letter of Permission

• Together, these approvals add 250 seats into the Round 2 counselling pool, comprising 100 seats through increased intake at two existing colleges and 150 seats through a brand-new medical college's first approved batch

• All of these seats will be apportioned strictly according to Tamil Nadu's prevailing Government and Management Quota ratio, along with the state's Communal Reservation guidelines, rather than being treated as a separate, unreserved pool

Why Candidates Are Being Allowed to Edit Already-Locked Choices

Normally, once choices are locked in a counselling round, candidates have no further opportunity to revise them until the next round opens. This notification carves out a specific exception, and understanding exactly who this applies to and what it permits is essential for anyone currently in Round 2.

• All eligible candidates participating in Round 2, including those who have already submitted or locked their choices, are permitted to edit, reorder, and add choices specifically to include these newly approved colleges

• This exception exists solely because these seats did not exist in the system at the time most candidates made their original choices, and the committee has acted to ensure the new intake is not effectively closed off to candidates already mid-process

• Candidates who are satisfied with their existing choice list and have no interest in these three colleges are not required to take any action, since the addition does not disturb previously locked preferences unless a candidate actively chooses to modify them

• Candidates who do wish to add or reorder choices should do so directly through the official counselling portal rather than assuming the system will reflect these new options automatically without candidate action

How Seat Allotment Will Work for These New Seats

The notification is explicit that these newly added seats will not bypass the standard allotment logic in any way, despite being introduced mid-round. Candidates should not expect any special or separate allotment process for these colleges.

• Allotment will be made strictly according to each candidate's NEET UG 2026 State Rank, exactly as with every other seat in the counselling process

• Communal Reservation categories will apply to these seats in the same manner as they apply across all other government and management quota seats in the state

• A candidate's own choice preferences, meaning the order in which colleges are listed, will determine how these new options factor into their final allotment relative to their existing choices

• Since these are freshly added options, candidates interested in them should think carefully about where to place them in their overall preference order, rather than simply appending them to the end of an existing list without considering their genuine ranking relative to other choices already on it

What Candidates Should Do Right Now

Given how directly this notification affects an already-active counselling round, candidates should treat this as time-sensitive rather than something to review later at leisure.

• Log in to the official counselling portal and review whether Madha Medical College, Arunai Medical College, or APS Medical College Hospital fit genuinely within personal preference, rather than adding them reflexively simply because they are new

• If any of these three colleges are of interest, decide on their correct position within the existing choice list based on genuine preference, location, and other personal considerations, rather than treating their newness as a reason to rank them unusually high or low

• Candidates who already locked their Round 2 choices should specifically check whether the system allows reopening and editing the locked list to incorporate these colleges, since the notification confirms this is permitted even for already-submitted candidates

• Regularly visit the official Tamil Nadu medical selection website for any further schedule revisions, since a mid-round seat addition of this scale often comes with adjusted timelines for subsequent steps in the counselling process

• Candidates weighing whether a newly established college's first intake batch is a good fit compared to more established options may find it useful to revisit how to approach medical college selection more broadly, since a new college carries a different risk and opportunity profile compared to an institution with an established track record

The Bottom Line

This mid-round addition of 250 MBBS seats, spread across two increased-intake colleges and one entirely new institution, gives Round 2 candidates in Tamil Nadu a genuine, time-limited opportunity to revise their choices before final allotment. Since editing rights extend even to candidates who have already locked their preferences, anyone with even a passing interest in Madha Medical College, Arunai Medical College, or APS Medical College Hospital should act on this now rather than waiting, given how counselling timelines tend to move quickly once such notifications are issued.