NEET PG 2025: Supreme Court junks plea seeking special stray vacancy round
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi: While hearing a case seeking a Round 5 or Special Stray Vacancy Round for NEET PG 2025 counselling after the National Medical Commission (NMC) refused to conduct the session, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the plea stating that no additional round would be allowed beyond the deadline.
Dismissing the writ petition, a division bench comprising Justice P S Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe made it clear that it would not intervene in the counselling process at this stage.
The Court specifically refused to interfere with the decision of the National Medical Commission that no Round 5 or Special Stray Vacancy Round will be conducted for NEET-PG 2025 and that admissions cannot be made beyond February 28, 2026.
The petition, filed through Advocate-on-Record Ravi Bharuka, sought directions to the authorities to conduct a Round 5 or Special Stray Vacancy Round to fill vacant postgraduate medical seats under the All-India Quota for NEET-PG MD/MS/DNB-2025 after completion of the stray vacancy round.
The petition stated that seats had fallen vacant on February 28, 2026, due to non-joining, non-reporting, or refusal by allotted candidates, reports Live Law.
However, the top court declined to grant any relief, indicating that the counselling schedule had already attained finality.
The plea had also challenged an April 1, 2026 notice issued by the NMC’s Post Graduate Medical Education Board, which reiterated that no Special Stray Vacancy Round would be held and warned that any admission beyond the cut-off date would be treated as unauthorized.
Medical Dialogues had reported about the notice in which the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) specified that no Special Stray Vacancy Round shall be conducted for NEET PG 2025. The PG Board of the Apex Medical Commission further stated that admissions made beyond the stipulated last date i.e., February 28, 2026 shall not be considered as valid.
Referring to the issue of Special Stray Round of NEET-PG 2025, the Commission confirmed that no such Special Stray Round of counselling shall be conducted as the matter has attained finality in view of the dismissal of Writ Petition(s) (Civil) No(s). 344/2026 and Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 10590/2026 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
In this case, the Supreme Court allowed submission of a representation in this regard to the Central Government. However, despite such representation, the permission has not been granted in this regard.
The notice stated that the issue had attained finality following dismissal of a plea before the Supreme Court seeking admission of 13 candidates by extending the last date of admission to PG seats in Rajasthan. While the Court had permitted the petitioners to file representations before the Central Government, the competent authority did not accept those representations.
The notice further stated that the Supreme Court, in Ashish Ranjan v. Union of India, had approved the NEET-PG 2025 counselling schedule on March 23, 2026, confirming February 28, 2026 as the final deadline for admissions.
It clarified that any admission made in violation of the schedule prescribed by the Medical Counselling Committee under the Directorate General of Health Services would be treated as unauthorized and liable for cancellation.
Taking note of the matter, the Supreme Court decided to dismiss the petition, upholding the admission deadline.
Also read- No special stray round for NEET PG 2025, admissions beyond February 28th invalid: NMC
