NEET UG 2026: Why Medical Colleges Want Lower Cutoffs as Thousands of MBBS Seats Stay Empty

Two private medical colleges have moved India's Supreme Court asking for a reduction in the NEET UG qualifying percentile, citing a sharp rise in unfilled MBBS seats across the country. The petition highlights a growing affordability crisis in medical education: after the third counselling round in 2026, over 3,400 MBBS seats remained vacant—more than four times the number from the previous year. This development raises important questions for NEET aspirants about how admission standards might shift and what it means for seat availability and college fees going forward.

What Happened: The Supreme Court Petition and the Vacant Seats Crisis

Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute and Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute have filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting that the qualifying percentile for NEET UG 2026 be reduced. The colleges invoked Clause II(b) of the NEET UG 2026 information bulletin, which allows the competent authority to adjust qualifying criteria under certain circumstances. The petition was heard by a Supreme Court bench on November 5, 2026, and the court has issued a notice; the matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 16, 2026.

The backdrop to this petition is stark: after the third round of All India counselling in 2026, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) reported 3,426 unfilled MBBS seats. This is a dramatic increase compared to just 802 vacant seats at the same stage in 2025. Even after the special stray vacancy round (a final attempt to fill remaining seats), 837 MBBS seats across the country remained empty. In that stray round, only 537 MBBS allotments were made against 946 reported vacancies, showing that even when seats were offered, many went unclaimed.

Why Are So Many MBBS Seats Staying Empty?

The primary reason for these vacancies is not a shortage of qualified candidates—it is the cost of medical education at private and deemed universities. Data from the MCC's stray vacancy round shows that 824 of the 837 remaining vacant MBBS seats were in deemed universities located in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Annual MBBS fees at some of these institutions range from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per year, making the total cost of a four-and-a-half-year course exceed Rs 1 crore when hostel and other expenses are included.

Even aspirants who qualify for NEET and secure admission are finding these fees unaffordable. Rather than enrol at these high-cost institutions, many are choosing to defer admission, pursue alternative pathways, or simply not take up their seats. This has created a paradox: there are enough qualified NEET candidates to fill the seats, but the financial barrier is preventing them from doing so.

Fee Concessions: A Sign of Desperation Among Private Colleges

In response to mounting vacancies, several private medical colleges have begun offering substantial fee reductions to attract students during the later stages of counselling. In one documented case, a deemed university in Tamil Nadu reduced its annual MBBS fee from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 15 lakh—a 40% discount—bringing the total four-and-a-half-year course cost down from over Rs 1 crore to below Rs 80 lakh. In another instance, a self-financed medical college in Rajasthan offered a concession of Rs 4.5 lakh on a course fee of Rs 94.5 lakh.

These fee waivers reveal that colleges are struggling to fill seats and are willing to compromise on revenue to avoid running courses with low enrolment. For aspirants, this presents both an opportunity and a concern: while lower fees make medical education more accessible, it also suggests that the private medical education sector may be facing financial stress, which could have implications for the quality of education and infrastructure at these institutions.

What the Colleges Are Arguing in Court

The senior advocate representing the petitioning colleges argued before the Supreme Court that Clause II(b) of the NEET UG 2026 information bulletin gives the competent authority (the National Medical Commission and Medical Counselling Committee) the discretion to reduce the qualifying percentile when a large number of seats remain unfilled. The colleges are essentially asking the court to direct the authorities to exercise this power.

The logic behind this argument is that if the qualifying percentile is lowered, more candidates will become eligible for counselling, and more seats will be filled. However, this approach is controversial: lowering the qualifying percentile could mean admitting candidates with lower NEET scores, which raises questions about whether this serves the interests of medical education quality or simply helps colleges fill seats for financial reasons. The Supreme Court has not yet ordered any reduction; it has only issued a notice and scheduled the matter for further hearing.

The Broader Context: Expansion of Medical Seats and Affordability

The vacant seat crisis occurs against a backdrop of significant expansion in medical education capacity. The National Medical Commission approved 13,636 additional undergraduate medical seats in 2026, increasing the total capacity to approximately 1.4 lakh MBBS seats across the country. This expansion was intended to address the shortage of doctors in India and increase access to medical education.

However, the expansion has been concentrated in the private and deemed university sector, where fees are high. While government medical colleges remain highly competitive and affordable, private institutions have proliferated without a corresponding increase in the number of aspirants who can afford them. This mismatch between capacity and affordability is at the heart of the current crisis. The expansion has created more seats, but not more accessible seats.

What This Means for NEET Aspirants: Potential Changes to Cutoffs

If the Supreme Court agrees with the petitioning colleges and directs a reduction in the qualifying percentile, it could have significant implications for NEET aspirants. A lower qualifying percentile would mean that candidates with lower NEET scores could become eligible for counselling. This could increase competition for available seats and potentially lower the cutoff ranks required for admission to certain colleges.

However, it is important to note that lowering the qualifying percentile does not guarantee admission to a specific college or course. It only expands the pool of eligible candidates. For aspirants aiming for government medical colleges or top-tier private institutions, the impact may be minimal. But for those targeting mid-tier private colleges, a lower qualifying percentile could mean more competition and potentially higher cutoff ranks at those institutions.

State-Level Challenges: Maharashtra's Experience

The vacant seat problem is not uniform across India. Maharashtra's NEET UG 2026 counselling data shows 138 unfilled MBBS and BDS seats after six rounds of centralised counselling (three CAP rounds and three stray vacancy rounds). Of these, 84 were MBBS seats and 54 were BDS seats. Maharashtra's state government discontinued institution-level counselling this year and mandated that all admissions be conducted through the State CET Cell, following complaints about admission denials and excessive fee demands during college-level counselling in previous years.

The Bombay High Court rejected a private medical college's plea to conduct its own counselling, calling it premature, but allowed the college to approach the Supreme Court if seats remained vacant after the centralised process. This shows that state governments and courts are actively trying to regulate private medical college admissions to protect aspirants from unfair practices, even as the colleges struggle with vacancies.

What Happens Next: The Supreme Court Hearing on November 16

The Supreme Court has scheduled the matter for hearing on November 16, 2026, when the respondents (the Union of India, Directorate General of Health Services, Medical Counselling Committee, and National Medical Commission) are expected to file their responses to the petition. The respondents will likely argue against a blanket reduction in the qualifying percentile, citing concerns about maintaining standards in medical education and the need to ensure that only adequately qualified candidates are admitted to MBBS programmes.

The court's decision will set an important precedent for how India's medical education system balances the need to fill seats with the imperative to maintain educational standards. For NEET aspirants, the outcome of this hearing could influence counselling timelines, cutoff scores, and the overall admission landscape for the remainder of the 2026 cycle and potentially beyond.

Frequently asked questions

The Supreme Court's decision on November 16, 2026, will be crucial in determining how India's medical education system responds to the vacant seat crisis. For NEET aspirants, monitor the court's ruling closely, as it could affect counselling timelines, cutoff scores, and the availability of seats at private institutions. In the meantime, if you are considering a private medical college, inquire about fee concessions and verify the college's accreditation and infrastructure before committing.