The crucial counselling process for the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI CET) for the January 2026 academic session is now officially open. This marks a pivotal phase for more than 32,000 successful candidates aiming to secure a seat in prestigious postgraduate medical programs across India's top medical institutes.
Registration and Eligibility: Key Details for Aspirants
A total of 32,374 candidates who cleared the INI CET January 2026 exam are eligible to participate in this centralised counselling. The process covers admissions to MD, MS, DM, MCh, and MDS courses at premier institutions including various AIIMS campuses, JIPMER Puducherry, PGIMER Chandigarh, NIMHANS Bengaluru, and SCTIMST Trivandrum.
This year, candidates must pay special attention to eligibility rules. Institutes like NIMHANS Bengaluru and SCTIMST Trivandrum have introduced upper age limits for applicants. Furthermore, aspirants belonging to the OBC, EWS, SC, ST, and PwBD categories must possess valid and current category certificates. Failure to present these documents will result in immediate disqualification from the counselling process, regardless of the candidate's rank.
Important Counselling Schedule and Seat Allocation
The counselling authority has released a detailed schedule that candidates must follow meticulously. The key dates for the AIIMS INI CET counselling are as follows:
- Mock Round Choice Filling: 6th to 9th December (until 5 PM)
- Mock Round Seat Allocation: 11th December
- Round 1 Choice Filling: 12th to 13th December
- Round 1 Seat Allocation: 18th December
- Online Acceptance & Reporting for Round 1: 19th to 24th December (till 5 PM)
- Round 2 Seat Allocation: 9th January
- Online Acceptance & Reporting for Round 2: 10th to 15th January (11 AM to 5 PM)
It is critical to note that seat allocation follows different systems. For AIIMS and JIPMER, a dynamic roster-based system is used. In contrast, NIMHANS, PGIMER, and SCTIMST allocate seats based on merit and their specific category rules.
Essential Guidelines for a Smooth Counselling Process
Medical education experts strongly advise candidates to adhere to the following guidelines to avoid any last-minute hurdles:
First, aspirants targeting NIMHANS or SCTIMST must verify their age eligibility before proceeding with choice filling. Second, ensuring all category certificates are valid and in the prescribed format is non-negotiable. Third, every step—from choice filling and seat acceptance to online reporting—must be completed within the strict deadlines announced. No late submissions will be entertained.
Finally, candidates should understand that even if seats remain vacant after Round 1, eligibility for subsequent rounds will still require compliance with all age and documentation criteria. Staying updated via the official website aiimsexams.ac.in and the portals of participating institutes is highly recommended.
With the process now underway, careful preparation and attention to detail will be the key for over thirty-two thousand aspirants to secure their future in India's most coveted postgraduate medical programs.
