Govt responds to Tamil Nadu SS in-service seat surrender issue; unfilled seats merged, then returned to state

The ministry of health and family welfare responded to the issue surrounding premature surrender of 145 out of 215 super specialty seats reserved for in-service candidates under the Tamil Nadu state quota to All India Quota (AIQ). The health ministry clarified that the Tamil Nadu NEET SS seats merged in the AIQ counselling were "surrendered by the Tamil Nadu government”.

NEET SS exam, a gateway for admission to super speciality courses, was not held last year due to delays and issues related to seat allotment in some states. After a year's gap, it was conducted this year.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is responsible for conducting counselling for 100% seats of Super Specialty (SS) courses across the country.

However, based on the Supreme Court order dated March 16, 2022, titled as N. Karthikeyan & Ors. vs. State of Tamil Nadu & Ors. Tamil Nadu was granted a 50% reservation for in-service candidates.

The candidates who are working in Tamil Nadu Government Institutions / Local bodies and appointed by the TNPSC / MRB through Competitive Written Examination / Special Qualifying Examination and appointed in Tamil Nadu Medical services should have completed minimum two years of continuous service as on 31.03.2025 are treated as service candidates and eligible to apply.

Also read 5-year bond policy for doctors taking 36-month study leave: Govt explains rules, incentives

Health ministry clarifies on 145 Tamil Nadu SS in-service seats

In a written reply to Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, the MoS for health and family welfare, Anupriya Patel clarified that the State Selection Committee (SSC) of Tamil Nadu is responsible for conducting counselling for these reserved seats.

In June, the Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian raised the issue that 145 out of 215 seats reserved for in-service candidates in Tamil Nadu were surrendered to MCC since the government did not give approval or schedule to the state to conduct the second round of counselling.

He urged the Union health minister JP Nadda to intervene and said that the process of surrendering unfilled in-service seats to the AIQ quota is being considered, without conducting the mandatory second round counselling at the state-level.

Responding on this issue, the ministry clarified: “Counselling for All India Quota (AIQ) seats by MCC and in-service seats by the SSC, Tamil Nadu is carried out in tandem, with each round of All India counselling immediately followed by the respective round of in-service counselling.”

During NEET SS counselling 2024 , after the completion of round-1 of in-service counselling, the SSC, Tamil Nadu surrendered the unfilled in-service seats to MCC. These seats were merged into the AIQ seat matrix for round-2.

“After completion of Round-2 of All India counselling, the remaining in-service seats were returned to the State to proceed with Round-2 of inservice counselling. Further, data of candidates made eligible after percentile reduction was also forwarded to the State for conducting a stray round of in-service seats,” the ministry said.