124 Seats, 4 Cities, 8 Days: Maharashtra Agri PG Conversion Round Starts Today
The conversion round for postgraduate admissions to agriculture and allied courses in Maharashtra has a new address. After the process was halted at Pune’s College of Agriculture on September 22, the Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research (MCAER) will now hold the remaining admission round at the headquarters of the four agricultural universities, from October 5 to 12.
This is the last admission round for the 2026-27 academic year. MCAER took the decision at a meeting chaired by the council’s Director General on October 4, attended by the deans and directors of education of all four agricultural universities. The earlier single venue at Pune has been dropped completely.
Report between 9 and 11 AM at the right university headquarters
According to the council’s latest circular, the process will run separately at the headquarters of four universities:
- Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli
- Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri
- Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani
- Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola
The reporting window is the same at all four centres. Reach the headquarters between 9 AM and 11 AM with your original documents and the prescribed fees. Do not go to the wrong centre. You must report at the headquarters of the university under whose jurisdiction the college you want to join falls.
MCAER has also made the eligibility clear. Candidates who were not admitted during the ongoing 2026-27 admission process can take part in this round. So if you missed out in the earlier rounds, this is still your chance.
Why the Pune round was stopped on September 22
Confusion had broken out at the College of Agriculture, Pune, during the third admission round. Around 270 students had turned up, and the conversion round was being held to fill 124 vacant seats. As per the procedure, candidates from reserved categories were considered first. Seats for which eligible candidates were not available were then converted to other categories and allotted on merit.
Some students said the conversion was not handled properly. They alleged that candidates who had not appeared in the previous round were allowed into the conversion round. Students demanded that the process be cancelled and held again, and they also approached the director of education for help.
“After category-wise allotment on the first day, the remaining seats should have been allotted purely on merit,” a student at the Pune centre told the Hindustan Times.
The row did not stay inside the campus. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar alleged that a student who had not even appeared for the CET was granted admission to the MSc Agriculture programme at the Pune college. He asked the agriculture minister to step in and ensure a transparent process.
Kishor Shinde, the director of agricultural education, said the process had been transparent. He added that the 270 students present on September 22 were considered while preparing the merit list.
MCAER suspended the second and final day of the third round the same week. The council said the students’ objections would be examined. The October 4 decision to move the remaining process to four university headquarters is the outcome of that review.
What you should do now
If you are waiting for one of these 124 seats, keep it simple:
- Find out which university your target college belongs to, and go to that headquarters. Check the notice on the official MCAER website if you are unsure.
- Reach between 9 AM and 11 AM on any day from October 5 to 12. Early reporting gives you more time in case a document needs fixing.
- Carry every original document in one file, plus the prescribed fees. Photocopies will not work where originals are asked for.
- Do not pay anyone who promises a seat. The process runs only at the four official centres.
PG counselling season is busy elsewhere too
Maharashtra is not the only state closing PG admission rounds this week. Students in Karnataka’s PG counselling should note that the Karnataka PGCET 2026 round 1 reporting window also ends today, October 5, at 6 PM. Different states run different schedules, so track each one separately and keep your documents ready for every round you apply in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I report for the Maharashtra agri PG conversion round?
Report at the headquarters of the university under whose jurisdiction the college you want falls, between 9 AM and 11 AM, any day from October 5 to 12, 2026. The four centres are Dapoli, Rahuri, Parbhani and Akola.
Who can take part in this round?
Candidates who were not admitted during the ongoing 2026-27 admission process of the Maharashtra agricultural universities are eligible to participate.
What should I carry for reporting?
Your original documents and the prescribed admission fees. The admission will not be processed without the originals, so check your document file before you travel.
Why was the earlier round at Pune suspended?
The admission process at the College of Agriculture, Pune, was disrupted on September 22 after students objected to the procedure for converting vacant reserved-category seats and allotting them on merit. MCAER suspended the rest of the round and shifted the process to the four university headquarters.
