Last verified: 30 September 2026 against the AIIMS INI-CET Prospectus Part A and Part B (January 2027 session), the AIIMS July 2026 seat allocation brochures and AIIMS Notice No. 154/2026 (tentative seat position).
Quick Answer
INI-CET counselling is online seat allocation run by AIIMS New Delhi for all participating institutes. Qualified candidates fill and lock institute-and-subject choices, see a mock round, then get seats in Round 1 and Round 2 by rank and category, followed by an open round. You report in person with original certificates or a ₹3 lakh demand draft.
How does INI-CET seat allocation work?
After the result, AIIMS publishes an information brochure, FAQ and schedule for seat allocation. Seats are allotted in order of rank, according to your choices and each institute's reservation rules — community reservation, PwBD, and institutional preference where it applies (AIIMS and JIPMER graduates at their own institute) — through what the prospectus calls Institute-wise Synchronised Allocation of Seats.
| Stage | What you do | What is binding |
|---|---|---|
| Mock round | Add institute + subject choices, order them, save/lock | Nothing — it only shows the seat you would likely get |
| Round 1 | Edit, reorder and lock choices; after allotment, pick Option 1 or 2 and report | Locked choices carry into Round 2; no option to refuse |
| Round 2 | Nothing new to fill — Round 1 choices are used; accept and report any new seat | An upgraded seat must be taken; the Round 1 seat is released |
| Open round | Register again, pay the ₹3 lakh security deposit, fill fresh choices | Joining an allotted seat is compulsory or the deposit is forfeited |
Source: AIIMS New Delhi, Prospectus Part A (Section XI) and the July 2026 seat allocation information brochures and FAQ — aiimsexams.ac.in. AIIMS can revise any of this by notice, so check the site before you act on it.
How do you fill and lock choices?
- The seat allocation link appears on MyPage after you log in with your application credentials.
- Pick an institute and a subject from two drop-downs and add the pair. There is no limit on the number of choices.
- Reorder with the arrows or drag and drop, and save as often as you like before the Round 1 deadline.
- Submit and lock ends editing — even if the deadline has not passed. If you never lock, your last saved list is locked automatically at the deadline.
- If you do not log in for Round 1 at all, your mock-round choices are used.
- Sponsored and foreign-national candidates can choose only the subjects and institutes in their sponsorship certificate or application, and get the single best seat available at their rank.
What happens after you are allotted a seat?
After Round 1 you must log in and actively choose one option within the deadline:
Option 1 — accept and exit
You keep this seat and leave all further rounds. Report to the institute by the deadline.
Option 2 — accept and try for an upgrade
You report to this seat and stay in Round 2. If Round 2 gives you a higher choice, you must take it and the first seat is released.
Missing the deadline forfeits the seat and removes you from Round 2 (the open round is still available). Every allotted candidate must report in person and deposit original certificates, or self-attested copies with a ₹3 lakh demand draft that is returned when the originals come in. Reserved-category and PwBD claims are checked against original certificates at reporting, and PwBD candidates are examined by a medical board. Failing to join a Round 1 seat or an upgraded seat attracts a ₹3 lakh penalty.
How does the open round work?
The open round is the last round — no institute runs another for that session. Qualified candidates who hold no seat must register again and deposit ₹3 lakh by bank transfer before the choice deadline. Candidates already holding a seat may join too, but if they are allotted a new seat their old one is vacated automatically, the institute's resignation penalty applies and accrued stipend is forfeited. Anyone allotted a seat in the open round who does not join loses the deposit. Unfilled reserved seats can be converted in this round.
Here is how long the whole process took in the July 2026 session:
| Step (July 2026 session) | Date |
|---|---|
| Result (qualified list) | Saturday 23 May 2026 |
| Mock round choices open | Thursday 11 June 2026 |
| Mock round result | Monday 15 June 2026 |
| Round 1 result | Wednesday 24 June 2026 |
| Round 2 result | Friday 10 July 2026 |
| Open round registration + choices | Monday 27 July 2026 |
| Open round result | Friday 21 August 2026 |
| Last date to join (open round) | Monday 31 August 2026 |
Source: AIIMS New Delhi, July 2026 session schedules of online seat allocation (Notices No. 82/2026 and 114/2026) and open round brochure — aiimsexams.ac.in. AIIMS can revise any of this by notice, so check the site before you act on it.
What are the seat-leaving penalties and bonds?
| Situation | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Not joining a Round 1 or upgraded Round 2 seat | ₹3 lakh penalty |
| Allotted in the open round but not joining | ₹3 lakh security deposit forfeited |
| AIIMS: leaving within six months of joining | ₹3 lakh + that month's pay |
| AIIMS: leaving after six months | ₹5 lakh + that month's pay |
| JIPMER, NIMHANS, PGIMER, SCTIMST | As set in each institute's Part B |
AIIMS junior residents are on a 3-year contract, and original certificates stay with the academic section for the course unless you deposit ₹3 lakh. AIIMS applies central reservation to PG seats — 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 27% OBC and 10% EWS, with 5% PwBD applied horizontally.
Source: AIIMS New Delhi, Prospectus Part B (AIIMS), January 2027 session, clauses 2 and 4 — aiimsexams.ac.in. AIIMS can revise any of this by notice, so check the site before you act on it.
How many seats are on offer for the January 2027 session?
AIIMS's tentative seat position (Notice No. 154/2026, 23 September 2026) lists 1,596 open seats across MD/MS, DM/MCh (6-year) and MDS. Sponsored and foreign-national seats are listed separately. AIIMS says the numbers may increase or decrease, and the final seat position is published before the result.
| Institute | Tentative open seats |
|---|---|
| AIIMS New Delhi | 192 |
| PGIMER Chandigarh | 143 |
| JIPMER Puducherry | 119 |
| AIIMS Kalyani | 114 |
| AIIMS Nagpur | 97 |
| AIIMS Patna | 94 |
| AIIMS Rishikesh | 88 |
| AIIMS Raipur | 87 |
| AIIMS Bhopal | 83 |
| AIIMS Jodhpur | 82 |
| AIIMS Bathinda | 74 |
| AIIMS Bhubaneswar | 71 |
| AIIMS Raebareli | 57 |
| AIIMS Guwahati | 56 |
| AIIMS Mangalagiri | 52 |
| AIIMS Gorakhpur | 42 |
| AIIMS Bilaspur | 38 |
| AIIMS Rajkot | 33 |
| AIIMS Deoghar | 29 |
| AIIMS Bibinagar | 28 |
| AIIMS Jammu | 10 |
| SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram | 5 |
| NIMHANS Bengaluru | 2 |
| Total | 1,596 |
Source: AIIMS New Delhi, Notice No. 154/2026, Tentative Seat Position, January 2027 session — aiimsexams.ac.in. AIIMS can revise any of this by notice, so check the site before you act on it.
Counselling rewards rank above everything. With so few seats per subject at each institute, a small gain in rank changes which institute and subject you can realistically list. Kinase's INI-CET PYQ practice and weak-area tracking are built to find those marks before the next attempt.
Latest AIIMS INI-CET notices
- INI-CET January 2027: PGIMER sponsored MS Orthopaedics seat revised
- INI-CET January 2027: tentative open seats published
- INI-CET January 2027: sponsored and foreign national seat position
Frequently Asked Questions
Who conducts INI-CET counselling?▼
How many rounds does INI-CET counselling have?▼
Can I change my choices after Round 1?▼
Can I refuse a seat allotted in INI-CET Round 1?▼
What is the INI-CET security deposit?▼
What is the penalty for leaving an AIIMS PG seat?▼
How many seats are there in INI-CET January 2027 session?▼
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