Hundreds of MBBS seats are still lying empty even after the last round of NEET UG 2026 counselling, and the matter has now reached the Supreme Court. Of the 948 seats offered in the Medical Counselling Committee’s special stray vacancy round, only 537 found takers, leaving 411 seats without any allotment. The numbers have put a sharp question mark over medical admissions this year: why are seats in the country’s most sought-after course going abegging?
Two private medical colleges have moved the Supreme Court asking for the NEET UG qualifying percentile to be lowered so that the empty seats can be filled. The court heard the plea on November 5 and has asked the Union government and the medical regulators to respond. The next hearing is listed for November 16, the same day the reporting window for allotted candidates closes.
What the numbers show
The vacancy figures tell a story that has been building through the counselling season. After the third round of All India counselling, 3,426 MBBS seats were still vacant across the country. At the same stage last year, the figure was 802. The Supreme Court had directed four rounds of counselling, and the MCC then held a fifth round, the special stray vacancy round, to mop up what was left. Even that did not close the gap.
According to MCC data cited by news agency PTI, 948 MBBS seats were on offer in the special stray vacancy round. Candidates took 537 of them. That left 411 seats, or about 43 percent of the seats in that round, unallotted. Overall, 837 MBBS seats remained unfilled across the country after the final round, according to counselling data reported by Careers360.
The reporting window for candidates who did get a seat in the special stray round runs from November 7 to 5 pm on November 16. Until that window closes, the 411 figure describes the allotment outcome rather than the final position after admissions are completed. Some seats could still be taken up, but the scale of the vacancy is already clear.
Why seats are staying empty
High fees at private and deemed medical universities have emerged as the main concern behind the empty seats. The special stray round mostly offered seats in private colleges, where annual tuition can run into many lakhs, and many NEET-qualified candidates simply did not take them up. The petition before the Supreme Court makes the same point: seats are available, qualified candidates exist, but the two are not meeting because of the fee barrier.
The two colleges that approached the court, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute and Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, have asked the competent authority to use a provision in the NEET UG 2026 Information Bulletin to lower the qualifying percentile. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the colleges, referred to Clause II(b) of Chapter 8 of the bulletin, which deals with lowering the qualifying criteria when seats remain vacant.
What the Supreme Court has done so far
A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the matter on November 5 and issued notice to the Union government, the Directorate General of Health Services, the Medical Counselling Committee and the National Medical Commission. The court has not ordered any reduction in the qualifying percentile yet, and it has not stayed anything. The existing eligibility rules remain in force for now.
Under the current rules, candidates in the general and EWS categories need to score at or above the 50th percentile in NEET UG 2026 to qualify, while candidates from the SC, ST and OBC categories need the 40th percentile. Those cut-offs have not changed, and no fresh registration or counselling round has been announced.
The November 16 hearing will be the first test of how the government and the regulators respond. If the court accepts the plea, the qualifying percentile could be lowered and a fresh opportunity could open up for candidates who missed the cut-off by a small margin. If it does not, the vacant seats will stay empty for this academic year, and the colleges will have to carry the loss.
What it means for NEET aspirants
For students, the case matters in two ways. Those who have already been allotted a seat should complete their reporting by 5 pm on November 16 and not wait for the court outcome. And candidates who qualified in NEET UG 2026 but did not get a seat, or those who fell just short of the qualifying percentile, should watch the November 16 hearing closely, because any relaxation would come with a short window to act.
The wider question is harder. India has a shortage of doctors, yet hundreds of MBBS seats are going vacant in the same year. The gap between the number of seats and the number of students who can afford them is now a question before the country’s highest court, and its answer on November 16 will shape how this admission season ends.
FAQs
How many MBBS seats are vacant after NEET UG 2026 counselling?
411 MBBS seats remained unallotted after the special stray vacancy round, out of 948 seats offered. In total, 837 MBBS seats stayed unfilled after the final round of counselling.
When will the Supreme Court hear the NEET UG plea?
The next hearing is on November 16, 2026. The court heard the matter on November 5 and issued notice to the Union government, DGHS, MCC and NMC.
Has the NEET UG qualifying percentile been lowered?
No. The Supreme Court has only issued notice so far. The current cut-offs, 50th percentile for general and EWS candidates and 40th percentile for SC, ST and OBC candidates, remain unchanged.
Who filed the plea in the Supreme Court?
Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute and Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute have asked the court to direct a reduction in the qualifying percentile, citing vacant seats and high fees.
What is the last date to report at the allotted college?
Candidates allotted seats in the special stray vacancy round must report at their colleges by 5 pm on November 16, 2026.
The Supreme Court’s decision on November 16 will decide whether this year’s empty MBBS seats get a second chance, or stay vacant.
