Supreme Court seeks Centre's response on NEET-SS cutoff for in-service doctors

A bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha heard arguments from senior advocate P. Wilson, representing the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association, regarding the contentious issue of NEET-SS eligibility criteria for practising physicians. The association has challenged the current percentile thresholds applicable to in-service candidates, contending they create unreasonable barriers for experienced doctors seeking specialisation qualifications.

The plea filed before the court specifically demands that the Centre reconsider the percentile-based merit criteria for in-service applicants and return all unfilled in-service seats back to individual states for allocation. The in-service category is reserved for doctors currently employed in government or recognised private medical institutions who wish to pursue further specialisation.

The Supreme Court's direction to the Centre to file a substantive response indicates the bench's inclination to examine the validity of the existing NEET-SS framework as it applies to practising medical professionals. The case touches on longstanding tensions between centralised examination standards and state-level medical recruitment autonomy.

The issue has drawn significant attention from medical professionals across India, as NEET-SS serves as the gateway examination for doctors pursuing superspeciality qualifications in fields such as cardiology, neurology, and orthopaedics. The outcome of this petition could potentially reshape how in-service doctors access postgraduate specialisation opportunities nationwide.