Days after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to reconsider its decision not to lower the minimum qualifying cut-off for super-speciality courses, it has
agreed to reduce the qualifying percentile for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Super Speciality (NEET-SS) seats from the existing 50th percentile to the 30th percentile. As reported by PTI, the Centre, in a note filed before the apex court, submitted that 1,857 super-speciality seats remained unfilled after the completion of the second round of NEET-SS counselling, noting that a significant number of vacant seats belong to highly specialised medical and surgical disciplines. "The matter has since been reconsidered in consultation with the concerned stakeholders. In order to ensure that the available Super Speciality seats do not remain vacant and that the available training capacity is optimally utilised, it has been decided that the qualifying percentile for NEET-SS may be reduced from the existing 50th percentile to the 30th percentile for the purpose of the proposed Special Stray Vacancy Round," the Centre told SC.
NEET-SS Cut-off Reduction to Make 6K+ Candidates Eligible for Counselling
The Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, apprised the apex court that a reduction in the NEET-SS qualifying percentile would allow approximately 6,000 additional candidates to participate in the counselling process.
"This would provide a candidate pool of approximately three times the number of presently vacant seats, i.e. approximately 6,000 eligible candidates against 1,857 vacant seats.
"It was further decided that, in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court in relation to the State of Tamil Nadu and in the peculiar circumstances, the 40 vacant in-service seats pertaining to Tamil Nadu would be reverted to the State Government for the limited purpose of enabling the State to conduct and complete its own Stray Vacancy Round for a period of one week," it said, according to PTI.
The Union government further told SC that seats remaining vacant even after the completion of the State's Stray Vacancy Round would later be added to the vacant seats available with the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The Special Stray Vacancy Round in respect of these seats, along with the other vacant super-speciality seats, would be conducted and completed by the Committee in two weeks.
The Centre’s move follows the top court’s advisory, asking it to rethink its decision not to reduce the cut-off, given that a significant number of seats go unfilled every year.
(With PTI Inputs)
