Supreme Court directs Medical Counselling Committee to conduct special counselling for vacant medical seats, with NRI seats reallocated to general category.
In a significant move aimed at addressing India’s acute shortage of doctors, the Supreme Court of India has ordered the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to fill vacant Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) seats across the country through a special round of counselling for the NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate) courses. The decision follows a series of petitions filed by private medical colleges, highlighting the financial distress caused by unfilled NEET UG seats for the 2024-25 academic session, reported by shiksha.com
The SC’s decision underscores the urgency of optimally utilizing available medical seats in the face of an ongoing healthcare crisis.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, emphasized the necessity of filling these seats to meet the growing demand for medical professionals in India. The court also directed that the vacant Non-Resident Indian (NRI) seats should be converted into general category seats and be included in the state quota admissions. This change aims to ensure that no valuable medical seats remain unfilled, especially when the country is grappling with a severe shortage of doctors.
“We are inclined to extend the period by way of a last chance, considering the peculiar facts and circumstances, and the precious medical seats should not go to waste,” the Supreme Court bench said in its ruling. The court further directed that the special round of counselling should be completed before December 30, 2024, with no exceptions.
The Supreme Court’s intervention comes as part of a broader effort to optimize the use of medical seats and ensure that all available slots are filled, particularly in the context of India’s doctor shortage.
The SC bench’s order specifies that the special round of counselling will only include waitlisted candidates, with no fresh admissions or direct entry allowed. Students who have already been allotted a seat in previous counselling rounds will be ineligible to participate in this special counselling. The purpose is to ensure that no medical seat goes unused and that all qualified students on the waiting list are given an opportunity to secure a seat.
The decision comes at a crucial time when the country is facing an acute shortage of medical professionals, and the need to optimize the use of every available seat in medical colleges is more pressing than ever. The Supreme Court’s ruling is seen as a critical step in addressing the gap between the demand and supply of healthcare professionals in India.
The Supreme Court’s decision to extend the counselling period and reallocate NRI seats to the general category for state quotas will ensure that no medical seat is left vacant.
The MCC has been tasked with organizing this special round of counselling, which will be completed by December 30, 2024, to ensure that all vacant seats are filled promptly. This ruling comes at a time when India is facing one of its biggest challenges in healthcare—an overwhelming shortage of doctors. The court’s move is expected to make a significant impact in optimizing the allocation of medical seats and boosting the number of medical professionals in the country.
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