NEET-SS: Supreme Court Favours Lower Cut-Off Percentile for Government Doctors - Video

The Supreme Court on June 24, 2026, issued notice on a plea seeking to prevent the Tamil Nadu government from surrendering 152 vacant in-service super-speciality medical seats for the 2025-26 academic year to the All India Quota. Hearing the matter, a bench of Justices B. V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi sought responses from the authorities and orally observed that in-service government doctors deserve a lower qualifying cutoff because they balance medical service with academic training. Justice Nagarathna remarked that government doctors acquiring super-speciality skills ultimately strengthen public healthcare and benefit patients who cannot afford private hospitals.

The petition, filed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, challenged the proposed transfer of vacant DM and M.Ch seats to the All India Quota before completion of counselling for in-service candidates. Senior Advocate P. Wilson argued that reducing the qualifying percentile and conducting further counselling rounds could allow eligible government doctors to fill these seats. The bench noted that in-service doctors form a distinct category and should not lose opportunities because they are simultaneously serving in public hospitals. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 15, according to a Live Law report.