1,140 NEET PG Seats Vacant After Counselling – Key Highlights

Particulars	Details
Topic	1,140 NEET PG seats remained vacant after counselling
Admission Cycle	NEET PG 2025
Source of Information	Rajya Sabha reply by Union Health Ministry
Date Tabled in Parliament	March 17, 2026
Updated Report Date	March 20, 2026
Total Vacant PG Medical Seats	1,140 seats
Counselling Round After Which Seats Remained Vacant	Stray Vacancy Round
Reason for Cut-Off Reduction	To ensure valuable PG medical seats do not remain vacant
NEET PG 2025 UR Cut-Off	Above 7th percentile
NEET PG 2025 UR-PwD Cut-Off	Above 5th percentile
NEET PG 2025 SC Category	All candidates declared qualified for counselling
NEET PG 2025 ST Category	All candidates declared qualified for counselling
NEET PG 2025 OBC Category	All candidates declared qualified for counselling
Government’s Position on NEET	NEET will continue as the common entrance exam
Legal Basis for NEET	Section 14 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019
Who Conducts AIQ Counselling?	Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under DGHS
MCC Covers	50% All India Quota seats + 100% Central & Deemed University seats
Who Conducts State Quota Counselling?	State counselling authorities / State governments
Main Issue Highlighted	Lower cut-off alone could not fill all PG seats
Likely Reason for Vacant Seats	High fees, low-demand branches, remote colleges, fragmented counselling
Major Concern	Admission system inefficiency beyond exam eligibility
Key Policy Question	Is India’s medical admission system missing affordability, transparency, and unified counselling?

Reasons Why NEET PG Seats Remained Vacant

Reason	Explanation
High Private College Fees	Many PG seats in private/deemed colleges are too expensive for students
Low-Demand Specialisations	Non-clinical and para-clinical branches are less preferred
Location Disadvantage	Remote or less reputed colleges attract fewer candidates
Fragmented Counselling System	MCC and state counselling systems create complexity and confusion
Stray Round Time Pressure	Candidates get very little time to decide, pay fees, and report
Wider Eligibility ≠ Seat Acceptance	More qualified candidates do not always mean more willing joiners

What India’s Medical Admission System Is Missing

Missing Element	Why It Matters
Fee Rationalisation	Students qualify but cannot afford costly PG seats
Unified Counselling System	Multiple authorities create confusion and seat wastage
Better College Transparency	Students need clear data on fees, stipend, bond, and patient load
Demand-Based Seat Planning	Seat creation should match branch demand and student preference
Improved Vacancy Management	Real-time seat tracking can reduce unfilled seats

SEO Summary

SEO Element	Content
Primary Keyword	1,140 NEET PG seats vacant after counselling
Secondary Keyword	NEET PG 2025 vacant seats
Search Intent	Informational / Educational / Admission News
Content Type	News Analysis / Medical Admission Update
Target Audience	NEET PG aspirants, medical students, parents, admission counsellors