SC asks Centre to reduce cut-off to prevent super-specialty med seats going waste

The Supreme Court has urged the Union government to consider lowering the NEET-SS 2025 qualifying cut-off marks to prevent super-specialty medical seats from going unused. In a bench comprising Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe, the court noted that a significant number of seats remain vacant even after two rounds of counselling for the NEET-SS exams.The court emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that many seats have remained unfilled even as of the present date.

It directed the additional solicitor-general, Aishwarya Bhati, to inform the Union health ministry and seek a suitable decision on the matter. The matter is set to be listed for further discussion on September 17.The government had previously informed the Supreme Court that it would not reduce the cut-off marks this year after consultations with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), and National Medical Commission (NMC).

A one-page note outlining the government's decision was presented to the court.The petitioners' lawyer argued that if the cut-off percentile is not reduced, around 2,000 seats in colleges would remain vacant. She emphasized that in the past, special rounds, mop-up rounds, stray vacancy rounds, and relaxation of eligibility criteria were conducted whenever there were substantial super-specialty seats left vacant.

Senior counsel P Wilson, representing service doctors in Tamil Nadu, highlighted that the 1,800 vacant super-specialty seats include disciplines such as cardiology, neurosurgery, and oncology, which train doctors to manage complex illnesses. Allowing these seats to remain vacant would be a waste of public investment and exacerbate the shortage of specialized medical professionals.Doctors expressed their frustration over the prolonged wait for admissions.

The eligibility test for super-specialty admissions was completed in December 2025, and results were announced a month later. Two rounds of counselling have already taken place, but more than 1,800 seats, including those in cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and haematology, remain vacant. Dr R Sathish, a physician, questioned the prolonged wait for such critical training opportunities.

He pointed out that many candidates, who are often breadwinners, have already resigned from their jobs in anticipation of securing super-specialty placements.While the government maintains that reducing the cut-off marks is not being considered, experts suggest that lowering the qualifying marks to zero, as done in previous years, could expedite the filling of vacant seats without addressing broader issues such as weak job prospects, modest salaries, demanding work conditions, and uncertain career paths post-training.