MP High Court rejects plea for extra NEET-PG counselling round, citing the Supreme Court-set admission deadline

The petitioners sought a special stray vacancy round to fill postgraduate medical seats remaining vacant after the NEET-PG 2025–26 counselling process.

Omkant, who scored 117 marks after the qualifying percentile was reduced, participated in the third round and stray vacancy round but did not obtain a seat; he alleged that seats, including one in MS General Surgery, remained vacant.

The respondents opposed further counselling, relying on the prescribed admission schedule and the Supreme Court’s order fixing 28 February 2026 as the last date for admissions.

The petitioners also challenged a State circular barring a special round.

1. Whether the Court could direct a special stray vacancy round for NEET-PG 2025–26 after the prescribed admission deadline had passed.

2. Whether vacant postgraduate medical seats could be filled through a further round notwithstanding the applicable regulations and Supreme Court orders.

Regulation 4.3 of the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 requires common counselling for postgraduate medical admissions, conducted online by the designated State or Central authority, and permits multiple rounds as necessary, subject to the published schedule.

Regulation 4.4 identifies the counselling authorities, while Regulation 4.5 prohibits admission outside the prescribed counselling process and provides consequences for non-compliance.

In Ashish Ranjan v. Union of India, the Supreme Court fixed 28 February 2026 as the last date for admission to postgraduate medical courses for the 2025–26 academic year.

In National Medical Commission v. Vedantaa Institute of Medical Science, the Supreme Court directed that, pending disposal of the writ petitions before the High Court, no similar interim orders directing selection and appointment to institutional seats should be passed.

The Court found that the counselling process had ended and that the Supreme Court’s order had fixed 28 February 2026 as the final admission date.

It held that directing a further round after that date would be inconsistent with the 2023 Regulations governing common counselling and the binding admission schedule.

The continued existence of vacancies, and the petitioners’ eligibility or presence on a waiting list, did not justify an admission process beyond the prescribed deadline.

All three writ petitions were dismissed as devoid of merit.