AYUSH counselling 2026: stray vacancy round registration opens November 3

The third round of all-India counselling for undergraduate Ayush courses for 2026-27 has ended, and the next step for students still without a seat is the Stray Vacancy Round, which opens for registration on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC) declared the round 3 seat allotment result on October 23, 2026, and candidates who were allotted seats had to report to their colleges between October 24 and October 29. According to the AACCC schedule, registration and fee payment for Stray Vacancy Round I run from November 3 to November 9, 2026, with the result due on November 12. The counselling covers degree courses in Ayurveda (BAMS), Homoeopathy (BHMS), Unani (BUMS), Siddha (BSMS) and Yoga and Naturopathy (BNYS).

Ayush degree courses are a major option for students who qualify in NEET-UG but do not get an MBBS seat, and for students who want to practise one of India's traditional systems of medicine. Stray vacancy rounds are held to fill seats that are still vacant after the main counselling rounds, so that they are not wasted and colleges can begin teaching with full batches.

For students, the stray rounds are often the last real chance in the year to get an Ayush seat through central counselling. They also move quickly. In this year's schedule, the first stray round has a registration window of seven days and a choice-filling window of six days, followed by a result three days later and a six-day window to report. Missing any of these steps can mean losing the seat. The second stray round gives no new chance to register: it relies entirely on the choices made in the first one, so students who want to be considered in both should make full and careful choices the first time.

Several states run their own Ayush counselling for state quota seats on separate timetables. Bihar, for example, has its own third round, with registration closing on November 1 and a provisional result due on November 7, according to the state's published schedule. Students who have applied to both central and state counselling should keep track of both sets of dates and the rules on holding or giving up a seat in each.

Some education websites still show older or slightly different dates for the earlier rounds. The schedule on the AACCC portal is the one that counts, and students should check it, along with any fresh notice about eligibility for the stray rounds, before registering.

Short-term: Students without a seat after round 3 have until November 9 to register and fill choices for the first stray round. Colleges will learn on November 12 which candidates have been allotted their remaining seats, and on November 24 for the second stray round.

Long-term: Filling vacant seats through the stray rounds helps Ayush colleges start their academic year with full classes and reduces the number of seats left empty. For students, a seat in these rounds decides the course and college they will study in for the coming years.

Who is affected: NEET-UG qualified students seeking BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS or BNYS seats; their parents; Ayush colleges with vacant seats; and state counselling authorities whose schedules run alongside the central one.

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