NEET-PG 2024 | Supreme Court Dismisses Plea For Fresh AIQ Round 3 Counselling

The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea seeking direction to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) to conduct AIQ (All India Quota) Round III of NEET-PG 2024 counselling afresh on the ground that there were instances of seat blocking following delay in completion of 2nd round of state counselling in Madhya Pradesh.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and K Vinod Chandran heard the matter. Not inclined to pass directions with regard to petitioners' prayer for participation in stray round of counselling, Justice Gavai said, "Very complicated...If we entertain the petition of these 3 (petitioners), we will have another 30...some casualties are there...this was a problem only in Madhya Pradesh, it was not a problem in other states".

Briefly put, the petition, filed by 3 NEET-PG 2024 candidates, sought direction to the MCC to cancel the AIQ Round III of NEET-PG 2024 counselling and conduct it afresh. Further, the petitioners sought direction for a 4th round of counselling for leftover seats blocked by candidates from states where Round II of State counselling was not concluded.

Pointing to anomalies in the AIQ Round III, the petitioners additionally sought an option for candidates who were eligible for AIQ Round III to register for the stray round of NEET-PG 2024 counselling. In support of their submissions, they alleged violation of the timeline given by the Supreme Court for NEET seat allocation in the Anjana Chari case.

On previous occasion, praying for a chance to the petitioners to participate in stray counselling, Senior Advocate K Parmeswar argued that due to instances of seat blocking and delay in completion of MP State Round II, there were lesser seats in AIQ Round III and candidates got lower subject category seats.

Today, he urged that the issue impacted the petitioner-candidates in two ways - first, as they received lower subject category seats, and second, as they received private college seats instead of state seats. He further submitted that in the instant case, it was the state which was at fault (not the students) and lifetime opportunities of petitioner-candidates were at stake.

Standing Counsel Gaurav Sharma (for National Medical Commission), on the other hand, contended that an issue arising only in the case of MP not be allowed to affect All India Quota counselling. "If anything is done now, it will have cascading effect in all states", he said. Further, it was informed that after candidates have chosen seat in AIQ Round III, they are not allowed to vacate and upgrade to others. The counsel added that wherever state seats are not taken, they can go to next round, but if petitioner-candidates vacate the AIQ seats, candidates from all over India would seek to apply for those seats.

Considering the submissions, the Court dismissed the petition.

Appearance: Senior Advocate K Parmeswar and Advocate Tanvi Dubey (for petitioners); ASG Aishwarya Bhati; Standing Counsel Gaurav Sharma (for National Medical Commission)

Case Title: JOSHI ANKIT AND ORS. Versus MEDICAL COUNSELLING COMMITTEE AND ORS., W.P.(C) No. 103/2025