The Centre has agreed to reduce the qualifying percentile for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) from the existing 50th percentile to 30th percentile for the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round. The decision comes after 1,857 super-speciality seats remained vacant following the second round of counselling, prompting the Supreme Court to ask the government to reconsider its earlier position.The Centre conveyed its decision to the Supreme Court in a note filed before the apex court, stating that the reduction would expand the pool of eligible candidates and help fill seats in highly specialised medical and surgical disciplines. The development was reported by PTI.
NEET-SS cut-off reduced from 50th to 30th percentile
Under the existing eligibility threshold, candidates had to secure at least the 50th percentile in NEET-SS to participate in the admission process. For the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round, the Centre has decided that the qualifying percentile may be reduced to the 30th percentile.The government said the decision was taken after reconsideration in consultation with stakeholders. The stated objective is to prevent available super-speciality seats from remaining vacant and make greater use of the existing medical training capacity.The reduction is specifically linked to the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round and follows the completion of the regular counselling process. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is the authority conducting the all-India super-speciality counselling process. Its official portal currently lists the 2025 NEET-SS counselling cycle and Round 2 results and notices.
1,857 NEET-SS seats remain vacant after Round 2
The immediate trigger for the decision is the large number of seats left unfilled after the second counselling round.According to the Centre’s submission, 1,857 super-speciality seats remained vacant. A substantial portion of these seats belong to highly specialised medical and surgical disciplines, where vacancies have remained a recurring issue.The government told the Supreme Court that lowering the qualifying percentile would bring approximately 6,000 additional candidates into the counselling pool.That would create a candidate pool of roughly three times the number of vacant seats, giving the authorities a significantly wider base from which to fill the remaining positions.
Centre plans Special Stray Vacancy Round
The revised eligibility threshold will be used for the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round, which is intended to fill seats left vacant after the regular counselling rounds.The Centre said the Medical Counselling Committee would conduct and complete the Special Stray Vacancy Round within two weeks for the seats remaining with the all-India counselling pool.Candidates should, however, distinguish between becoming eligible for counselling and securing a seat. The reduction in percentile expands the pool of candidates who can participate; it does not itself guarantee admission to a super-speciality course.
40 Tamil Nadu in-service seats to return to state
The Centre’s submission also dealt with the issue of vacant in-service super-speciality seats in Tamil Nadu. According to the note, 40 vacant in-service seats pertaining to Tamil Nadu would be reverted to the state government for a limited period of one week. The state would then be permitted to conduct and complete its own Stray Vacancy Round for these seats.The arrangement follows proceedings before the Supreme Court concerning vacant super-speciality seats earmarked for in-service candidates in Tamil Nadu. The court had earlier dealt with the issue of unfilled Tamil Nadu super-speciality seats and their movement into the All India counselling process.Any seats that remain vacant after Tamil Nadu completes its one-week Stray Vacancy Round will subsequently be added to the pool of vacant seats available to the MCC, according to the Centre’s submission.
Supreme Court had asked Centre to reconsider cut-off decision
The latest decision follows sustained scrutiny by the Supreme Court over vacant super-speciality seats. The issue has also come up in the context of earlier proceedings concerning NEET-SS vacancies. In June, the Supreme Court dealt with a plea concerning vacant super-speciality seats in Tamil Nadu and the surrender of seats to the All India quota.The court had also previously examined the consequences of lowering the qualifying percentile for super-speciality admissions. In a 2022 judgment, the Supreme Court noted that reducing the percentile had previously resulted in a reduction in the number of vacant seats.The current decision therefore comes against the backdrop of a continuing challenge in NEET-SS counselling: balancing the qualifying threshold for entry into highly specialised medical training with the need to ensure that sanctioned seats do not remain vacant.
What the NEET-SS cut-off change means for candidates
For candidates who could not meet the earlier 50th-percentile threshold, the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round could provide another opportunity to enter the counselling process.The Centre estimates that the change could make around 6,000 candidates eligible against 1,857 vacant seats.Candidates will need to follow the MCC’s official notifications for the detailed schedule, registration requirements, choice-filling process and final seat matrix once the Special Stray Vacancy Round is formally notified. The MCC’s current super-speciality counselling portal carries the latest counselling notices and schedules.The development effectively widens the final counselling pool while keeping the immediate focus on filling super-speciality seats that have remained vacant even after two rounds of admissions.(With inputs from PTI)
