Following SC order, NEET UG 2024 special stray vacancy counselling begins today
New Delhi: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will conduct a special stray vacancy round 3 counselling to fill vacant seats under the All India Quota (AIQ) and state quota for MBBS, BDS, and BSc Nursing programs. No new registrations will be permitted for this round.
As per the official schedule, the choice-filling process will begin on December 23 at 11 am. Registered candidates can access the choice-filling window on MCC’s official website, mcc.nic.in, using their NEET UG roll number, password, and security pin. The choice-locking deadline is December 24 at 11 am. The seat allotment process and results will be announced the same day. Candidates allotted seats must report to their respective colleges between December 25 and December 30 by 5 pm.
This decision comes after the Supreme Court recently emphasised the urgency of filling vacant medical seats in light of the country’s acute doctor shortage. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan directed authorities to hold special counselling and complete admissions by December 30.
“Considering the acute shortage of doctors and to ensure no seat is wasted, we are inclined to extend the period as a last chance,” the bench stated.
The court clarified that no college would be allowed to admit students directly, and admissions must be conducted exclusively through state admission authorities. Additionally, the stray counselling process will not impact finalised admissions and will only utilise the waitlisted candidates. This one-time measure, the court emphasised, is not to be treated as a precedent.
