SC cracks down on seat-blocking in NEET-PG, issues 10-point reform plan

The Supreme Court on May 21 issued a series of directives to tackle the issue of seat-blocking in postgraduate medical admissions through NEET-PG, saying that the practice undermines merit-based selection and disadvantages higher-ranked candidates.

A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan sharply criticized the practice, which involves candidates temporarily occupying seats in multiple institutions as a backup strategy and later abandoning them after securing a preferred option.

By the time these seats become available again, most aspirants have already committed to other choices, leaving the vacated seats to be filled by lower-ranked candidates.

"Seat blocking in NEET-PG counselling occurs when candidates temporarily accept seats, only to abandon them later after securing more preferred options. This leads to those seats remaining unavailable in earlier rounds and opening up only in later stages, disadvantaging higher-ranked aspirants, who may have already committed to less preferred choices," the court noted.

Terming it a sign of deeper structural issues, the bench said, "This malpractice distorts the actual availability of seats, fosters inequity among aspirants, and often reduces the process to one governed more by chance than merit."

The court pointed to "fragmented governance, lack of transparency, and weak policy enforcement" as contributing factors.

The bench highlighted that delays in state counselling, last-minute seat additions or deletions, and lack of coordination between different quotas exacerbate the problem.

"As a result, lower-ranked candidates can secure better seats by taking risks, while merit-based selection is undermined," it said.

The SC laid out a 10-point directive with clear reforms aimed at ensuring fairness, transparency, and merit-based selection. Below are the measures with their explanations:

1. Nationally synchronized counselling calendar: This will ensure that counselling rounds for All India Quota (AIQ) and state quotas are aligned, reducing the scope for candidates to hold multiple seats across systems and misuse staggered timelines.
2. Mandatory pre-counselling fee disclosure: All private and deemed universities must disclose tuition, hostel, caution deposit, and other miscellaneous fees upfront. This promotes transparency and allows candidates to make informed choices before seat selection.
3. Centralized fee regulation framework under NMC: The National Medical Commission will set up a unified system to regulate and standardize fees across medical institutions, addressing arbitrary and non-transparent fee structures.
4. Post-Round 2 upgrade window for admitted candidates: Candidates already admitted can be allowed to upgrade to a better-preferred seat in later rounds without opening those rounds to new applicants. This prevents manipulation and unnecessary seat-blocking.
5. Transparency in multi-shift NEET-PG exams: Authorities must publish raw scores, answer keys, and normalization formulas to maintain fairness and transparency, especially when the exam is conducted in multiple shifts.
6. Strict penalties for seat-blocking: Candidates who indulge in seat-blocking will face severe consequences, including loss of security deposit and disqualification from future NEET-PG exams, and colleges found complicit could be blacklisted.
7. Aadhaar-based seat tracking: This mechanism will help prevent candidates from holding multiple seats or misrepresenting their status by linking admissions to a unique biometric identity.
8. Accountability for rule violations: State authorities and officials from medical institutions will be held liable for schedule or rule violations. Actions may include contempt proceedings or disciplinary measures.
9. Uniform counselling conduct code across states: A standardized code will govern eligibility criteria, mop-up rounds, seat withdrawal rules, and grievance redress timelines to ensure uniformity across all states.
10. Third-party oversight under NMC: An independent oversight mechanism will be created within the NMC to conduct annual audits of counselling data and check for compliance and fairness in the admission process.

The judgment follows a long-standing case initiated by NEET-PG aspirants from the 2017–2018 academic session, who approached the Allahabad High Court over grievances related to seat-blocking.

The High Court had ruled in their favor, awarding ₹10 lakh in compensation and directing procedural reforms.

The Uttar Pradesh government and the state’s Director General of Medical Education and Training appealed the verdict in the Supreme Court, which stayed the order in 2018.

In its ruling today, the apex court revised the compensation to ₹1 lakh per petitioner while acknowledging reforms made since 2021 and urging authorities to implement the newly issued directions.