Supreme Court Issues Notice on Tamil Nadu's 152 Super‑Speciality Seats to All‑India Quota

Overview The Supreme Court has issued a notice on a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association seeking to stop the surrender of 152 vacant Super Speciality seats for the academic year 2025‑26. The petition asks that these seats be kept for in‑service doctors and that the qualifying percentile be reduced before the seats are transferred to the All India Quota . Key Developments Partial bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Joymalya Bagchi called for responses from the authorities and highlighted that cut‑offs for in‑service candidates should be lower because they serve in public health while studying. The earlier writ petition in the Tamilveni case directed the Tamil Nadu government to inform the Director General of Health Services about 151 unfilled seats. The petitioners argue that the second round of counselling for super‑speciality seats has not been conducted because of the Tamilveni order, and that surrendering seats now would prejudice in‑service doctors. Senior Advocate P Wilson emphasized that previous years saw a reduction in the qualifying percentile for NEET‑SS counselling, and the same should apply this year. The bench declined to issue a status‑quo direction on the second round of counselling and left the matter for further hearing on 15 July 2026 . Important Facts • 152 super‑speciality seats (DM/M.Ch) remain vacant in Tamil Nadu colleges for 2025‑26. • The petition seeks a third or mop‑up counselling round for in‑service candidates if the qualifying percentile is reduced below 50% after the second round. • The NEET‑SS counselling process is currently on hold for the All India Quota seats. UPSC Relevance The case illustrates the intersection of judicial review with health‑sector policy. Aspirants should note how the All India Quota mechanism can affect state‑level reservation for in‑service doctors . The discussion on lowering the percentile highlights equity considerations in public‑service recruitment, a recurring theme in GS 2 (Polity) and GS 4 (Ethics). Understanding the role of the DGHS and the procedural use of writ petitions is essential for answering questions on health‑policy governance. Way Forward The bench will reconvene on 15 July 2026 to decide whether to allow the second round of NEET‑SS counselling to proceed and whether the qualifying percentile should be reduced for in‑service candidates. A favourable order could set a precedent for other states, ensuring that government doctors receive adequate opportunities for super‑speciality training, thereby strengthening public health infrastructure across India.