Doctors urge Health Minister Nadda for additional round of NEET SS Counselling 2025 to fill around 1700 vacant seats

New Delhi: Highlighting that around 1700 super-speciality seats are still lying vacant, doctors have urged the Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda to conduct an additional round (Round 3) of the NEET SS 2025 counselling to ensure optimum utilisation of the unfilled seats.

Submitting a representation to the Union Health Minister, the doctors under the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) have argued that leaving these super-speciality seats vacant would result in the loss of valuable training opportunities for the current academic session. It would also result in a shortage of trained Super-Specialists in the country, they pointed out.

"The NEET-SS 2025 counselling has now completed two rounds. As per the NEET SS 2025 Prospectus/Counselling Scheme, two rounds have been provided for the counselling process. However, the situation arising after completion of Round 2 warrants consideration of an additional counselling round to utilise the Super-Speciality seats that may otherwise remain vacant. As per reports and information available among NEET-SS aspirants, nearly 4,000 candidates are awaiting a further counselling opportunity, while approximately 1,700 Super-Speciality seats are reported to remain vacant. These numbers highlight the need for an urgent and practical intervention by the competent authorities," the association mentioned in a letter addressed to the Health Minister.

"We understand that the final vacancy position will become clear after completion of the Round 2 reporting and joining process. However, allowing a substantial number of Super-Speciality seats to remain vacant would result in the loss of valuable training opportunities for the current academic session and would further contribute to the shortage of trained Super-Specialists in the country," it added.

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In the letter, the doctors also referred to the Supreme Court order in the case of Kevin Joy & Ors. v. Government of India & Ors., where, taking note of the issue concerning vacant medical and super-speciality seats, the Apex Court had observed the need for an effective mechanism to deal with the same. They also referred to the order in the case of Ramkrishna Medical College Hospital & Research Centre v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors., where the principle that valuable medical seats should not remain unutilised was reflected.

Relying on these court orders, the association has urged the Minister to conduct an additional Round 3 of NEET-SS 2025 counselling for all eligible seats remaining vacant after completion of Round 2 reporting and joining, publish the updated vacancy position after Round 2 reporting and joining as this would enable the candidates to make informed choices.

Further, they have requested granting permission to all eligible candidates to participate in the additional counselling round, subject to the applicable rules and regulations and complete the additional counselling process at the earliest possible opportunity, while maintaining transparency, merit and compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

"We wish to clarify that this request is not intended to dilute merit or academic standards. It is aimed at ensuring that valuable Super-Speciality training seats are not lost when a substantial number of aspirants are willing and eligible to pursue these programmes. While the NEET-SS 2025 counselling scheme provides for two rounds, the present circumstances, including the reported vacancies and the large number of aspirants awaiting further counselling, justify consideration of an additional/special round as a one-time measure for the current academic session," the letter mentioned.

"We therefore request the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, DGHS and MCC to kindly examine the matter urgently and take appropriate steps in the larger interest of medical education, aspiring candidates and the healthcare system," IMA-JDN further added.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to the Union Health Ministry, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the Chairperson of NMC and the Chairman of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

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