Madras: The NEET-SS vacant seats issue has received a major update after the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to surrender 151 unfilled super-speciality medical seats to the All India Quota (AIQ). The move is expected to help eligible doctors across India get admission through the national merit list.
The order comes during the ongoing NEET-SS 2025 counselling process, where several seats reserved under the Tamil Nadu State Quota remained vacant.
Details of Supreme Court Ruling on NEET-SS 2025 Admission
The Supreme Court directed Tamil Nadu to inform the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) about the 151 vacant super-speciality seats.
Once the information is shared, these seats can be filled through the All India Merit List, giving eligible candidates from across the country a chance to secure admission.
Court Relied on Earlier Directions
The bench noted that the issue was already covered by an earlier Supreme Court order in N. Karthikeyan & Others vs State of Tamil Nadu. Under that order:
- Tamil Nadu could reserve seats for in-service doctors.
- Unfilled seats after the prescribed period should be surrendered.
- Remaining seats could then be filled through the All India merit-based counselling process.
Why Was the Case Filed?
A group of doctors filed a writ petition seeking:
- Transfer of unfilled DM and M.Ch seats from Tamil Nadu’s State Quota to the All India Quota.
- Inclusion of these seats in the ongoing NEET-SS counselling process.
- An additional counselling round if required to fill the vacant seats.
The petitioners argued that valuable medical seats should not remain vacant when qualified candidates are available through the national merit list.
What Are DM and M.Ch Courses?
DM (Doctorate of Medicine) and M.Ch (Master of Chirurgiae) are super-speciality medical courses pursued after postgraduate medical education. These courses train doctors in highly specialized fields such as:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Nephrology
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
- Other advanced medical specialties
NEET-SS 2025 Admission: Why Did 151 Seats Remain Vacant?
According to reports, Tamil Nadu reserves 50% of super-speciality seats in government medical colleges for in-service government doctors. Out of 219 seats reserved for in-service candidates, only 68 were filled, leaving 151 seats vacant.
This shortage of eligible candidates led to the dispute over whether the seats should continue to remain under the state quota or be transferred to the national pool.
