PrepMaticExam glossary · NEET
All India Quota (AIQ): the 15% seats filled by MCC
On this page
The All India Quota (AIQ) is the 15% of seats in state government medical and dental colleges that are open to NEET candidates from any state. MCC fills them through its own counselling, instead of the state doing so. The other 85% of those seats form the state quota, which is reserved for the state's own candidates.
Why the quota exists
Without it, a student could only compete for government seats in their home state. The AIQ lets a candidate from Tamil Nadu take a seat in another state's government college, and the reverse. It also means a government college in your own state has two kinds of MBBS seat, AIQ and state, with different counselling, different merit lists and different reservation rules.
What AIQ looks like in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu's tentative 2026-27 seat matrix lists 36 government medical colleges with 5,050 MBBS seats. Of these, 753 go to the AIQ and 4,247 are state quota, and the matrix also shows 50 ward seats separately. For BDS, the government dental colleges have 250 seats, of which 37 are AIQ and 213 are state quota. Seat numbers are tentative and can change, so check the latest matrix on tnmedicalselection.net.
Rules that apply to AIQ seats
- Counselling: run by MCC online, with registration, choice filling, choice locking, allotment and reporting across Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and a stray vacancy round.
- Rank used: your All India Rank, not your state rank.
- Reservation: central rules. These are reported as OBC-NCL 27%, SC 15%, ST 7.5%, Gen-EWS 10% and 5% horizontal for PwBD. Tamil Nadu's 69% community reservation applies in the state's own counselling, not to AIQ seats.
- Fees: MCC charges a registration fee and a refundable security deposit.
A candidate can take part in both MCC and state counselling, since they are separate processes with separate registrations. The counselling process guide shows how the two tracks fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Tamil Nadu nativity certificate for AIQ seats?
No. AIQ seats are open to candidates from any state. The nativity certificate matters for Tamil Nadu's state quota.
Are AIQ seats only in government colleges?
AIQ is the 15% share of state government college seats. MCC also counsels deemed universities, central institutions, AIIMS and JIPMER, but those are not part of the 15% AIQ.
Official sources
- Medical Counselling Committee (MCC): rounds, fees and allotment lists.
- Tamil Nadu Selection Committee: 2026-27 prospectus and seat matrix.
See which NEET chapters are pulling your score down
Take a free NEET assessment on PrepMatic. It shows where you stand across Physics, Chemistry and Biology, then builds a day-by-day study plan and mock tests focused on your weak subjects.
Start free assessment →Free forever plan · No credit card · 2-minute setupRelated
- State quotaState quota is the share of medical seats a state fills itself. See what it covers, how it differs from All India Quota and how Tamil Nadu splits 2026-27 seats.
- MCCMCC, the Medical Counselling Committee under DGHS, runs NEET counselling for All India Quota, deemed, central and AIIMS seats. See its steps, rounds and limits.
- Seat matrixA seat matrix lists each medical college's seats by course and quota. See how to read it, Tamil Nadu's 2026-27 tentative numbers and why it is not a cut-off.
- NEET counselling processHow NEET counselling works: what MCC and state authorities each run, the steps from registration to reporting, rounds, choice filling and documents.
- Tamil Nadu NEET counsellingTamil Nadu MBBS/BDS counselling for 2026-27: seat matrix, nativity rule, 69% reservation, the 7.5% government-school quota, rounds and documents.
More in NEET
- All India Rank (AIR)NEET All India Rank (AIR) is your position in NTA's national merit list. See how it differs from category and state rank, how ties break and where it is used.
- 7.5% government school quotaThe 7.5% quota gives government school students preference in Tamil Nadu MBBS and BDS seats. See who qualifies, how Act 34 of 2020 applies and the proof needed.
- Choice fillingChoice filling is listing the colleges and courses you want, in order, before NEET seat allotment. See how the order drives your seat and how to build the list.
- Choice lockingChoice locking is the step that freezes your college list before seat allotment. Learn what it means, why you cannot edit after it, and mistakes to avoid.
- Deemed universityA deemed university can award its own degrees, and MCC counsels its MBBS seats, not the state. See how it differs from state seats, plus fees and registration.
- Information bulletinThe NEET information bulletin is NTA's official rulebook for each exam cycle. See what it covers, why older bulletins mislead and the 2027 bulletin's status.
- Management quotaManagement quota is a category of private medical seats with higher fees. See the Tamil Nadu 2026-27 share, fees and deposit, and how it differs from NRI quota.
- MCC security depositThe MCC security deposit is refundable and paid at registration, unlike the fee. See the 2026 reported amounts, Tamil Nadu's deposit rules and when it is lost.