In a major move to curb malpractice in postgraduate medical admissions, the Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the widespread issue of seat blocking by candidates and institutions during NEET-PG counselling.
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan called out the practice for distorting seat availability and undermining merit-based selection.
“Seat blocking is not merely an isolated wrongdoing – it reflects deeper systemic flaws rooted in fragmented governance, lack of transparency, and weak policy enforcement,” the court noted in its April 29 order.
Call for Structural Overhaul and Transparency
The bench observed that although regulatory authorities have introduced certain technical controls and disincentives, key issues—such as lack of real-time data visibility, poor synchronisation of counselling rounds, and inconsistent enforcement—remain unresolved.
“Achieving a truly fair and efficient system will require more than policy tweaks; it demands structural coordination, technological modernisation, and robust regulatory accountability at both state and Central levels,” the court said.
Key Directives
To address the issues comprehensively, the top court has issued a series of directives aimed at improving transparency and coordination in NEET-PG counselling:
Mandatory Fee Disclosure: All private and deemed universities must disclose tuition fees, hostel charges, caution deposits, and other miscellaneous fees before the counselling process begins.
Centralised Fee Regulation: A standardised fee regulation mechanism is to be established under the National Medical Commission to prevent arbitrary charges by institutions.
National Counselling Calendar: A synchronised schedule is to be implemented, aligning the All India Quota (AIQ) and state counselling rounds to avoid overlaps and discourage manipulation.
Strict Penalties for Seat Blocking: Those found guilty of blocking seats will face stringent consequences, including forfeiture of security deposits, disqualification from future NEET-PG examinations, and blacklisting of involved colleges.
Upgrade Provision Without Reopening Rounds: Candidates admitted by round two will be allowed to upgrade to better seats, but new applicants will not be allowed to enter during this phase, maintaining order in the process.
Transparency in Exams: The court also directed the release of raw scores, answer keys, and the normalisation formula for multi-shift NEET-PG exams to ensure clarity and build trust among aspirants.
Background of the Case
The verdict came in response to a plea filed by the Uttar Pradesh government and the Director General of Medical Education & Training, Lucknow. They had challenged a 2018 Allahabad High Court ruling, which ordered the state to compensate two students affected by seat blocking and to initiate corrective measures.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to have a wide-ranging impact on how postgraduate medical admissions are conducted in India, ushering in greater transparency, accountability, and fairness in the system.
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