- AIQ = 15% of government seats (open to all states, filled by MCC) plus all deemed, central, AIIMS, ESIC seats (~26,500 total)
- State quota = 85% of government seats (domicile restricted) plus private college seats, filled by state authorities
- Register for both tracks simultaneously; your participation in one does not affect the other
- Your category may differ between AIQ (central list) and state counselling (state list): these are independent
The two tracks every NEET candidate must understand
After qualifying NEET UG, you do not enter a single admissions process. You enter two parallel ones that run at the same time, fill different pools of seats, and follow different rules. Misunderstanding how they interact is one of the most expensive mistakes a candidate can make.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services, runs All India Quota (AIQ) counselling. Each state’s counselling authority (CET Cell in Maharashtra, KEA in Karnataka, and equivalents elsewhere) runs state quota counselling. You can register for both simultaneously, but the seats they fill, the categories they recognize, and the exit rules they enforce are different.
What AIQ covers
The All India Quota pool includes 15% of MBBS and BDS seats in every government and corporation medical college in the country. These seats are carved out before the state gets its 85% share. MCC fills them through central counselling based on All India NEET rank, with no domicile restriction. A candidate from Kerala can get an AIQ seat in Maharashtra, and vice versa.
Beyond the 15% AIQ government seats, MCC also fills:
- Deemed universities: 100% of seats. India has approximately 88 deemed medical institutions. These are entirely under MCC; no state quota applies.
- Central universities: 100% of seats at Delhi University, BHU, AMU, Jamia Millia Islamia, and IP University.
- AIIMS and JIPMER campuses: All seats at all campuses.
- ESIC medical colleges: All seats.
MCC handled approximately 26,500 seats in 2025, about 20% of all MBBS seats in India. If your target includes deemed universities, central institutions, or AIIMS, MCC is the only route.
In total, MCC handled approximately 26,500 seats in the 2025 cycle. That is about 20% of all MBBS seats in India.
What state quota covers
State counselling authorities fill the remaining 85% of government college seats, plus state quota seats at private colleges within their borders. These seats are restricted to candidates with domicile in that state (with some exceptions for institutional quota at private colleges).
State counselling also handles private college admissions. In most states, private college seats are split roughly as follows: 85% state quota (filled by the state authority) and 15% institutional quota (filled by the state authority or the institution on an all-India basis, depending on the state). The exact split and whether institutional quota goes through centralized counselling or institutional-level admission varies by state.
Maharashtra and Karnataka together account for over a fifth of India’s MBBS capacity. Maharashtra had 9,070 MBBS seats across 64 colleges (government and private, per the 2025 Information Brochure) plus seats at 16 deemed universities. Karnataka had 13,944 MBBS seats in 2025-26 across government, private, and deemed institutions combined.
How the 15% is calculated
The 15% AIQ seats are taken from the total sanctioned intake of each government medical college. For a college with 250 seats, 37 or 38 go to AIQ (exact number depends on rounding). The remaining 212 or 213 go to the state.
The AIQ calculation applies only to government and corporation colleges. Private unaided colleges do not contribute to the AIQ pool. Their 15% institutional quota is a separate concept, administered differently.
Maharashtra’s 2025 Information Brochure states explicitly: “All India Quota (AIQ) seats from Government / Corporation Medical & Dental colleges will not be reverted back to the respective states.” This means that if AIQ seats at Maharashtra government colleges go unfilled after MCC counselling, they do not come back to the CET Cell. This rule has been consistent in recent years, though the exact language varies across MCC information bulletins.
For AYUSH courses (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS), 15% AIQ seats at government colleges are filled by the Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC), not MCC. Unlike MBBS AIQ seats, unfilled AYUSH AIQ seats can revert to the state for filling through state counselling rounds.
Reservation differences
This is where AIQ and state quota diverge most sharply.
AIQ reservation (MCC)
MCC follows the central government reservation policy:
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10% |
| PwD (within each category) | 5% |
Only three main reservation categories (SC, ST, OBC-NCL) plus EWS. The OBC list used is the central government OBC list, not the state OBC list.
State quota reservation (varies by state)
Each state sets its own reservation policy for state quota seats. Maharashtra and Karnataka illustrate how different these can be:
Maharashtra reserves 50% for constitutional categories at government colleges: SC 13%, ST 7%, VJ (Vimukta Jati) 3%, NT-B 2.5%, NT-C 3.5%, NT-D 2%, OBC 19%. On top of this, there is 10% SEBC, 10% EWS, 5% Defence, 5% PWD, 3% Hilly Area, 1% Orphan, and 30% female reservation running in parallel. VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, and SEBC are Maharashtra-specific categories with no equivalent in AIQ counselling.
Karnataka uses a different set of categories: General Merit (GM), 2A (OBC Group A), 2B (OBC Group B), 3A (OBC Group A), 3B (OBC Group B), SC, ST, and Category 1. Karnataka also has Hyderabad-Karnataka region reservation and rural/Kannada medium quotas at some institutions.
Your AIQ category and state counselling category are independent. A candidate can be OBC-NCL for AIQ and NT-D for Maharashtra state counselling simultaneously. These are not interchangeable.
A candidate who qualifies under OBC in central government terms might fall under NT-C in Maharashtra terms, or under 3A in Karnataka terms. These are not interchangeable. Your category for AIQ counselling is determined by the central government list. Your category for state counselling is determined by your state’s list. You can be OBC-NCL for AIQ and NT-D for Maharashtra state counselling at the same time.
Can you participate in both?
Yes, and you should. Registering for both MCC and state counselling is standard practice. They run in parallel, and your participation in one does not disqualify you from the other (with one important exception described below).
The process works like this:
- Register on the MCC portal (mcc.nic.in) for AIQ counselling
- Register on your state counselling portal (mahacet.org for Maharashtra, kea.kar.nic.in for Karnataka)
- Fill preferences and participate in both tracks
- If you receive allotments from both, you must choose one and vacate the other within the reporting window
The exception: if you join a seat in MCC Round 3 (mop-up round), you are typically barred from participating in further state counselling rounds. Similarly, if you are allotted a seat in Round 3 of Maharashtra state counselling, the CET Cell informs MCC, and you may be barred from further MCC rounds.
Which one gives you better odds?
This depends on your AIR, your category, your domicile state, and what kind of college you want. There is no universal answer. The trade-offs:
AIQ favours candidates from states with fewer medical colleges. A candidate from a northeastern state with limited government MBBS seats may find better options through AIQ, since AIQ seats exist at government colleges across the country. A candidate from Maharashtra or Karnataka, which have large numbers of colleges, may actually have better options through state counselling simply because of the larger seat pool in their home state.
State quota favours candidates with state-specific categories. If your category has reservation in state counselling but not in AIQ (such as VJ, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, or SEBC in Maharashtra), your chances are structurally better in state counselling. In AIQ, you would compete as either Open or OBC-NCL, depending on whether your state category maps to the central OBC list.
Deemed universities are only through MCC. If your target includes deemed medical colleges (which tend to have higher fees but are sometimes more accessible for mid-range AIRs), you must go through MCC.
State counselling has more rounds and more flexibility. Maharashtra runs three rounds plus stray vacancy rounds with fresh preference filling each time. Karnataka runs multiple rounds with a Choice 1/2/3 system. MCC runs four rounds with a single preference list carried forward. More rounds with fresh preferences means more chances to land a seat.
Participate aggressively in Round 1 of both tracks, where exits are free or low-cost. Narrow down once you have allotment results from both.
The coordination problem: what happens when allotments overlap
The most stressful scenario is getting allotted a seat in both MCC and state counselling around the same time. The reporting windows sometimes overlap, and you need to make a quick decision.
General principles:
- If one allotment is clearly better (higher-preference college, better location, lower fees), take that one and vacate the other.
- If the MCC allotment is in Round 1 and you have not yet received state counselling results, you can join the MCC seat and continue participating in state counselling. If you get a better seat in state counselling, you resign from MCC (check the current year’s MCC bulletin for penalties).
- If the state allotment is in Round 1 (which usually offers a free exit if you do not join), you can wait for MCC results before deciding.
- After Round 2 in either track, the stakes increase. Security deposits may be forfeited, seats may become binding, and cross-track movement becomes riskier.
The safest approach: participate aggressively in Round 1 of both tracks (where exits are free or low-cost), then narrow down once you have allotment results from both.
Where you can and cannot cross state lines
AIQ seats: Open to all states. No domicile restriction. A Bihar domicile candidate can get an AIQ government seat in Tamil Nadu.
State quota government seats: Restricted to domicile candidates. You cannot get a state quota government seat in a state where you do not have domicile.
State quota private seats: This is where it gets complicated. States are classified as “open” or “closed” for private college admissions.
Karnataka is an open state. Candidates from any state can apply for private college seats through KEA counselling, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. This is one reason Karnataka attracts a large number of out-of-state applicants.
Maharashtra is a closed state. Only Maharashtra domicile holders can apply for state quota (85%) seats at private colleges. The 15% institutional quota at private colleges is the only route for non-domicile candidates, and even that goes through the CET Cell’s centralized CAP rounds.
Our data across both tracks
neet2seat tracks state counselling allotment data for Maharashtra (86 colleges) and Karnataka (74 colleges) across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Our database has over 407,000 individual allotment records covering every round of state counselling in both states.
In 2025, closing AIRs for OPEN/GM category at the most competitive government colleges ranged from around 2,500 (Seth GS/KEM in Maharashtra) to around 11,000 (GMC Nagpur in Maharashtra) for state counselling. These are state quota numbers. AIQ closing ranks at the same colleges tend to be different (often lower, since AIQ pools are smaller) but are not tracked in our database because our data covers state counselling only.
You can compare cutoffs across colleges and years using our cutoff analyzer, which covers all rounds of Maharashtra and Karnataka state counselling. For a personalized assessment, try the college predictor.
FAQ
Do AIQ seats at government colleges have the same fee as state quota seats?
Yes. AIQ government seats carry the same fee structure as state quota seats at the same college. There is no fee premium for AIQ. Government MBBS fees in Maharashtra for 2025-26 are Rs 1,52,100 tuition plus Rs 5,000 development fee per year, whether the seat is AIQ or state quota.
If I do not get an AIQ seat, do my chances in state counselling change?
No. Your state counselling allotment is based on your NEET AIR and your preferences filed with the state authority. MCC results do not affect your standing in state counselling. The two tracks run independently.
Can I be penalized for participating in both tracks?
Not for participating. But if you hold seats in both tracks simultaneously without vacating one within the prescribed window, you can face penalties including seat cancellation and potential debarment. The coordination rules vary by year; check the current MCC and state counselling bulletins for exact timelines and penalties.
Are deemed university seats better filled through AIQ or is there another route?
Deemed university seats are filled only through MCC. There is no state counselling route to deemed universities. If a deemed university is your target, you must register for MCC counselling.
Do unfilled AIQ seats come back to the state?
For MBBS and BDS, Maharashtra’s 2025 Information Brochure states that AIQ seats “will not be reverted back to the respective states.” The position across other states and across different counselling cycles has varied, so check the current year’s MCC bulletin for the definitive rule. For AYUSH courses, unfilled AIQ seats can revert to the state.
My category is VJ (Vimukta Jati) in Maharashtra. What am I in AIQ counselling?
VJ is a Maharashtra-specific category. For AIQ counselling, you would need to check if your specific caste is listed in the central government OBC list. If it is, you participate as OBC-NCL in AIQ. If it is not, you participate as General/Unreserved. Your state category and central category are determined independently.