Bengaluru, 31 October 2026 – The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has dropped its Special Stray Vacancy Round notification (No. ED/KEA/UGNEET/SVR-4/2026), and let's be honest – it reads like a final exam where the syllabus is "don't panic, but also panic a little."

What's Actually Happening Here?

After the regular Stray Vacancy Round wrapped up on 26 October, a bunch of MBBS and BDS seats were left sitting pretty – unallocated, unpaid for, or simply abandoned by candidates who got the seat but never showed up. KEA is now giving those orphaned seats a second chance at finding a student.

Think of it as the "final final" round. After this, the 2026–27 admission season is officially closed, and the seats go to… well, the dustbin of unfulfilled aspirations.

The Schedule (Bookmark This Before You Forget)

  • Fresh Registration: 2–4 November 2026

  • Caution Deposit Payment: 4–6 November 2026

  • Fresh Option Entry: 6–9 November 2026

  • Allotment Result: 11 November, after 1 PM

  • Balance Fee + College Reporting: 12–13 November, before 6 PM

Yes, the entire window is roughly eleven days. Your bank, your documents, and your nervous system all need to be on standby.

The Deposit That Makes Your Heart Do a Little Jump

Course

Caution Deposit

MBBS

₹25,00,000 (Twenty-Five Lakh)

BDS

₹1,00,000 (One Lakh)

Now, before you close this tab – this is not the full course fee. It's a "seriousness deposit." If you get the seat and report, it gets adjusted into your course fee. If you ghost the college? Congratulations, ₹25 lakh just became a very expensive lesson in commitment.

Who Can Actually Play This Game?

You're eligible if:

  • No Medical seat was ever allotted to you in any KEA round

  • You previously took a Dental seat (you can now only opt for Medical)

  • You never registered for UGNEET-2026 at all (Fresh Registration opens for you)

You're out if (and this is a long list):

  • You got a Medical seat in any KEA round, even if you didn't report

  • You reported to an AIQ / Deemed University seat in the first three rounds

  • MCC Fourth Round allotted you a seat

  • MCC Special Stray Round allotted you a seat

Read that last point again. MCC's result drops on 7 November, while KEA's option entry runs until 9 November. So you have a 48-hour window to decide whether you're in or out. That's not a scheduling quirk; that's KEA testing your reflexes.

The Forfeiture Clause (Read Twice, Cry Once)

Your deposit gets forfeited if you:

  • Get the seat but don't take admission

  • Choose to cancel your admission

  • Miss the 12–13 November reporting deadline

KEA's notification specifically mentions ₹25 lakh forfeiture for Medical. For BDS, the amount isn't re-stated in the forfeiture clause – so if you're a dental aspirant, please call the helpline (080-23460460) before you transfer that lakh.

Practical Tips So You Don't Regret This at 2 AM

  • Verify your eligibility before you register. Seriously. One wrong assumption and you've wasted time and a registration fee.

  • Check actual college fees before filling options. A "stray seat" at a premium private college can still cost a fortune.

  • Don't wait for the last day. Server crashes, bank glitches, and your uncle asking for help with his phone – all happen on the final day.

  • This is KEA's State Round, not MCC's. Don't conflate the two. Different rules, different timelines, different eligibility.

The Bottom Line

This round is a genuine lifeline for candidates who've been circling the MBBS dream for months. But it's also a high-stakes, high-deposit, tight-deadline situation that rewards the prepared and punishes the procrastinating.

Read the full notification at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, confirm your eligibility, lock in your finances, and fill your options like you mean it – because KEA absolutely means it.

Source: KEA Notification No. ED/KEA/UGNEET/SVR-4/2026, dated 31 October 2026.