SC Directs MCC to Fill Vacant NEET UG Seats, Reallocate NRI Seats to General Category

SC Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan directed MCC to fill NEET UG seats highlighting the shortage of doctors in India and directed to convert NRI seats into general category for state quota seats. 

The Supreme Court of India has directed the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to fill vacant Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats
across India and conduct a special round of counselling for admission through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate courses. The verdict was announced following a series of petitions filed by private medical colleges highlighting the monetary hardship due to vacant NEET UG seats for session 2024-25. 

Convert NRI Seats to General Seats 

Following this, the SC bench comprises of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, directed MCC to fill vacant UG medical seats through NEET UG addressing the acute shortage of doctors in India. Besides, the bench also directed that the vacant NRI seats shall also be converted into the general category seats and must be addressed during the state quota admissions, as reported by The Hindu.  

"Taking into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances and further that the precious medical seats should not go to waste when the country is facing acute shortage of Doctors, we are inclined to extend the period by way of a last chance," the SC bench said. "The Admission Authorities are, therefore, directed to hold a fresh stray/special counselling for the seats remaining vacant and complete the admission process before December 30, 2024, in any eventuality," The Supreme Court order stated. 

No Medical Seats Should Go Wasted 

The SC further directed that in order to achieve optimum utilisation of UG medical seats, the admission process must be completed by December 30, 2024. Further, students who have already been allotted a seat will not be eligible to participate in the counselling process. Besides, no direct admissions will be allowed and only waitlisted candidates will be considered for the special round of counselling. 

Read more:

• Kerala NEET UG Counselling 2024: Special Stray Vacancy Round 3 Schedule Out
• Tamil Nadu NEET UG Counselling 2024: Special Stray Round 3 Dates Out