The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has indefinitely extended the NEET PG 2025 counselling choice filling process. This delay follows updates to the seat matrix by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Board of Examinations (NBE). The extension has caused significant frustration among postgraduate medical aspirants nationwide.
Counselling Delay and Seat Matrix Changes
The MCC announced the extension of the NEET PG 2025 counselling choice filling until further notice. This decision came after revisions to the seat matrix, which details available medical seats.
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) withdrew 169 PG DNB seats after the first round of counselling began. Additionally, the MCC removed 73 PG seats from the overall NEET PG 2025 seat matrix. These removed seats include 39 from Gujarat, 12 from Jammu and Kashmir, 9 from Uttar Pradesh, 7 from Chhattisgarh, 4 from Telangana, and 2 from West Bengal.
MCC stated that these revisions aim to remove excess seats and reapply the roster system, ensuring compliance with NEET PG 2025 reservation policies.
Aspirant Frustration and Professional Criticism
Many NEET PG aspirants have voiced strong objections to the prolonged delay and lack of transparency. An individual posted on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the administrative issues: “First, counselling started 59 days late after results. Now, NBE withdraws 169 DNB seats & NMC revises seat matrix just when candidates were finalizing choices. This administrative chaos is unacceptable!”
Meet Ghonia, General Secretary of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) India, criticized the situation as “gross mismanagement” between the Health Ministry’s three bodies: NMC, NBEMS, and MCC. Ghonia noted that the seat matrix remains undecided three months after results, leaving thousands of aspirants unemployed and overburdening existing resident doctors.
Supreme Court Involvement and Technical Glitches
The Supreme Court (SC) is also involved in a hearing concerning the transparency of the NEET PG 2025 exam. The SC has postponed this hearing multiple times. During the last session, the court granted NBEMS two weeks to respond to petitions filed by candidates.
Separately, the United Doctors Front (UDF) chairperson, Lakshya Mittal, has requested the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to reopen the NEET PG 2025 registration portal. This request addresses “technical glitches” that prevented many aspirants from completing their registration or NRI quota document submissions. Mittal emphasized the need for justice and transparency for all candidates.
New Rules and State-Specific Policies
New rules for NEET PG 2025 counselling include a Rs 59 lakh bond for AFMS (Armed Forces Medical Services) candidates and stricter norms for the NRI quota. Efforts are also being made to create a uniform counselling platform for All India Quota and state counselling processes.
Individual states are also implementing specific policies. For instance, West Bengal NEET PG 2025 rules include a Rs 5 lakh bond penalty and a mandatory three-year service period for open category candidates.