The Supreme Court heard the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association’s petition seeking a reduced qualifying percentile for in‑service doctors in NEET‑SS. The bench directed the Centre to reply and scheduled a further hearing for August 31.

  • Supreme Court asks Centre to answer on NEET‑SS in‑service cut‑off
  • 152 vacant super‑speciality seats to be returned to Tamil Nadu
  • Next hearing slated for August 31

New Delhi (August 24, 2026) – A bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha heard senior advocate P. Wilson, representing the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association (TMOSA), on a petition that seeks to lower the qualifying percentile for in‑service government doctors taking the NEET‑SS (National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test‑Super Speciality).

TMOSA contended that the state had earmarked 219 super‑speciality seats for in‑service candidates for the 2025‑26 academic year, yet after two rounds of counselling only 68 doctors had taken up the seats, leaving 152 vacant.

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The association further argued that 111 candidates remain on a waiting list and have a legitimate expectation of admission based on the practice of relaxing the percentile in previous years. It urged the Union Government to return the full 152 unfilled seats to Tamil Nadu and to consider a reduction of the cut‑off.

The Union Government replied that out of the 152 seats transferred by Tamil Nadu, roughly 40 seats remain vacant. It indicated that lowering the percentile would enable many of the waiting candidates to qualify.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that the outcome of this petition could set a precedent for how state‑reserved medical seats are treated nationwide, potentially affecting thousands of government doctors awaiting specialty training.

"A reduced qualifying percentile would strengthen in‑service training capacity not just in Tamil Nadu but across India," says health‑policy expert Dr. Ravi Shankar.
Did You Know?: Over 12,000 super‑speciality seats are offered each year through NEET‑SS, with a substantial portion reserved for state quotas.

The Court posted the matter for further hearing on August 31, giving the Centre time to clarify its stance. The decision could reverberate across other states that have similar reservation policies for in‑service doctors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will all 152 vacant seats be returned to Tamil Nadu?

A: No final order has been issued yet, but the Centre has been instructed to immediately return the 40 seats that remain vacant.

Q2: Which doctors stand to benefit if the percentile is lowered?

A: Candidates who narrowly missed the current cut‑off are likely to become eligible under a relaxed percentile, improving their chances of securing a super‑speciality seat.