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In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to conduct a special round of counseling to fill vacant seats in medical colleges for NEET undergraduate courses. The move comes in response to India’s growing shortage of doctors, with the court emphasizing the urgency of utilizing all available medical seats.
Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, who were hearing the case, underscored the critical need to fill these vacant seats to ensure an adequate supply of healthcare professionals. The court also extended the deadline for completing the admissions process, setting December 30, 2024, as the final date by which all admissions must be concluded.
The ruling also stipulates that vacant Non-Resident Indian (NRI) seats, which remained unfilled after several rounds of counseling, should be converted to the general category. These seats will now be filled exclusively through the State Admission Authorities, ensuring that the seats are allocated to qualified candidates from the waiting list.
Additionally, the court made it clear that no medical college would be allowed to admit students directly; only candidates from the waitlist would be eligible for admission. The decision follows concerns raised after five rounds of counseling failed to fill all the available medical seats, further exacerbating the country’s already acute doctor shortage.
This special counseling round is expected to offer a solution to the issue, paving the way for better utilization of medical seats and contributing to addressing India’s healthcare needs.
