NEET SS 2025 Counselling Deadlock Ends: Supreme Court Orders Tamil Nadu to Restore 151 Seats, MCC to Finish Admissions in Two Weeks

July 29, 2026: Ending months of uncertainty for thousands of doctors across India, the Supreme Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to restore 151 vacant super-speciality (SS) medical seats to the All India Quota (AIQ), clearing the way for the long-delayed NEET SS 2025 counselling process to resume. The court also instructed the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to complete the remaining counselling process within two weeks, bringing relief to aspirants whose admissions had remained on hold because of the legal dispute.

The case revolved around 151 in-service super-speciality seats in Tamil Nadu government medical colleges that remained vacant after the state's counselling process. The disagreement over whether these seats should remain with the state or be surrendered to the central pool delayed Round 2 of NEET SS 2025 counselling nationwide.

In its May 29, 2026 order, the Supreme Court directed Tamil Nadu to restore all 151 vacant super-speciality seats to the central pool, removing the final legal obstacle preventing the counselling process from moving forward.

The bench further directed the Medical Counselling Committee to complete the remaining NEET SS 2025 counselling within two weeks. Following the ruling, the MCC is expected to announce a revised Round 2 counselling schedule shortly.

The verdict comes as a major relief for thousands of NEET SS candidates across the country who had been waiting for admissions to proceed amid months of legal uncertainty.

The counselling impasse began after a dispute over 151 vacant in-service super-speciality seats in Tamil Nadu government medical colleges.

The state had argued that these seats were meant for in-service government doctors and should remain under the state's control rather than being surrendered to the All India Quota. As the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Medical Counselling Committee put Round 2 counselling on hold until the legal issue was resolved.

The prolonged litigation delayed the admission process for several months, leaving thousands of qualified NEET SS candidates unable to secure admissions while medical institutions awaited the joining of new super-speciality residents.

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Following the Supreme Court's order, the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association (TNMOA) criticised the state government's handling of the case.

According to the association, the 151 super-speciality seats were created primarily for in-service government doctors using state resources and should have remained available for eligible medical officers in Tamil Nadu. The association alleged that shortcomings in the state's handling of the legal proceedings ultimately resulted in the seats being restored to the central pool.

The association described the outcome as a setback for in-service doctors who had expected to compete for these seats through the state quota.

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Medical organisations welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, saying it would finally allow the admission process to move forward.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), which had repeatedly sought an early resolution of the matter, welcomed the verdict and urged the Medical Counselling Committee to release the revised counselling schedule without further delay.

FAIMA had earlier highlighted that the prolonged counselling stalemate had affected thousands of aspiring super-specialists, delayed academic sessions, and impacted hospitals awaiting the induction of resident doctors.

Following the Supreme Court's directive, the Medical Counselling Committee is expected to publish a revised Round 2 schedule for NEET SS 2025 counselling.

Candidates should regularly check the official MCC portal for updates regarding choice filling, seat allotment, reporting dates, and subsequent counselling rounds.

With the court directing the MCC to complete the counselling process within two weeks, the restored seats are expected to be filled on an expedited timeline, allowing the long-pending admission process to conclude and enabling successful candidates to begin their super-speciality training.

The Supreme Court's ruling brings an end to one of the most significant admission disputes of the NEET SS 2025 cycle, restoring certainty to a process that had remained stalled for months and offering long-awaited clarity to medical graduates pursuing super-speciality education.

(Rh/ARC/MSM)