SC gives last chance to fill vacant MBBS seats before Dec 30 deadline
The Supreme Court has allowed one last chance to fill vacant bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (MBBS) seats nationwide, directing that a special stray round of counselling be concluded by December 30.
However, those who have already secured admission will not be eligible to participate.
The decision came in response to a series of petitions filed by private medical colleges, which reported facing significant financial hardship due to one or two vacant MBBS seats this year.
The last round of counselling ended on November 30, and the colleges sought a special stray vacancy counselling as a one-time measure to ensure the seats go to meritorious candidates next in line based on the NEET-UG 2024 results.
A bench led by Justice Bhushan R. Gavai passed the order after being informed by the National Medical Commission (NMC) that there were still vacant MBBS seats across the country.
Senior advocate Gaurav Sharma, appearing for the MCC, said that five rounds of counselling, as prescribed by the court, had concluded. He suggested that an additional round could fill the vacant seats within five to six days.