The Supreme Court asked the Union government on Thursday (September 10, 2026) to reconsider its decision not to reduce the cut-off percentile for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) seats in the current year, while expressing concern about a large number of seats going unfilled annually.
The order from a Bench of Justices P.S. Mr. Wilson stressed that many eligible candidates, mostly in-service government doctors serving in rural parts of the State, were awaiting a reduction in the qualifying percentile. It further urged the court to lower the cut-off percentile. It had also sought protection of the State’s in-service reservation policy, pending a final decision on reduction of the NEET-SS qualifying percentile.
Narasimha and Alok Aradhe came after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Centre, said the government was willing to conduct a “stray round” for the vacant NEET-SS seats, but had decided not to lower the qualifying percentile. She said the vacant seats would revert to States like Tamil Nadu. He said the NEET-SS seats were “precious”, and cannot remain vacant. The court said the fact that many seats remain unfilled makes the case for reduction of the qualifying percentile “rather compelling”. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for Tamil Nadu, said the State wanted the vacant seats to completely revert to it. The petitioner-association had challenged the “premature diversion” of 152 vacant Super Speciality seats earmarked for in-service government doctors in Tamil Nadu to the All-India Quota.
Wilson, who said Tamil Nadu had 40 vacant seats left, and they should be returned to the State. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, represented by senior advocate P.
