NEET-SS Cut-Off Reduced To 30th Percentile For Special Stray Vacancy Round

The Union Government on Thursday agreed to reduce the qualifying percentile for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) seats from 50th to 30th percentile for a proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round, while also agreeing to return 40 vacant in-service seats to Tamil Nadu.

The decision was conveyed through a government note filed before a Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha.

The move will make candidates who secured the 30th percentile or above in NEET-SS eligible to participate in the special stray vacancy round.

1,857 Super Speciality Seats Vacant

The Centre said the decision was taken after reconsideration in consultation with concerned stakeholders to ensure that available super speciality seats do not remain vacant and that existing training capacity is utilised.

According to the government note, 1,857 super speciality seats were lying vacant after the completion of the second round of NEET-SS counselling.

The Centre said reducing the qualifying percentile would expand the eligible candidate pool to around 6,000 candidates for the 1,857 vacant seats.

The petitioner, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, had sought a reduction of the cut-off to zero percentile, as had been done in the previous two years.

40 Vacant Tamil Nadu Seats To Be Returned

The Centre also agreed to return 40 vacant in-service seats pertaining to Tamil Nadu to the State government.

The Union Government said the decision was taken in compliance with Supreme Court orders concerning the State.

The 40 seats will be reverted to Tamil Nadu for the limited purpose of allowing the State to conduct and complete its own stray vacancy round over one week.

In the previous hearing, Tamil Nadu and the petitioner association had urged the court to intervene for the return of the seats, arguing that they could enable more in-service government doctors, particularly those serving rural areas, to receive specialised medical training.

Tamil Nadu Allowed Candidate Upgradation

The Supreme Court also allowed Tamil Nadu to permit NEET-SS candidates to upgrade their seats during the one-week special stray vacancy round.

The Centre had opposed such upgradation for candidates who already held seats.

The Union Government argued that upgradation had already been available during the first two rounds of NEET-SS counselling, when candidates participating in the second round could seek an upgrade from their first-round allotment.

It said that allowing candidates who had already joined seats to upgrade several months into the academic session could result in seats being vacated and becoming vacant again, potentially requiring another counselling round.

The Centre therefore proposed that the newly vacant seats be offered only to candidates who had not joined a seat during the earlier rounds and who became eligible following the reduction of the qualifying percentile.

Petition Challenged Diversion Of Tamil Nadu Seats

The Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association had approached the Supreme Court challenging what it termed the “premature diversion” of 152 vacant super speciality seats earmarked for in-service government doctors in Tamil Nadu to the All-India Quota.

The association also sought protection of Tamil Nadu’s in-service reservation policy.

The State was represented by senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, Additional Advocate General Prashanto Chandra Sen and advocate Rupali Samuel. Senior advocate P. Wilson appeared for the petitioner association.

The Bench listed the matter after three weeks, following completion of the counselling process by Tamil Nadu.