NEET UG 2026: Supreme Court Issues Notice on Plea to Lower MBBS Qualifying Percentile — No Cutoff Reduction Ordered Yet
Published 10 Nov 20264 min read
The Supreme Court has issued notice on a petition by two medical colleges seeking a lower NEET UG 2026 qualifying percentile. The court has not ordered a cutoff reduction. Candidates who fall below the current qualifying threshold should continue to use the existing criteria when assessing their eligibility. The next hearing is listed for November 16, 2026.
What the Supreme Court Has Done — and Not Done
The Supreme Court has issued notice on the petition. This means the court has formally asked the respondents — the Union of India, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), and National Medical Commission (NMC) — to respond to the plea.
What this does not mean: The court has not ordered any reduction in the NEET UG 2026 qualifying percentile. The existing qualifying criteria remain in force. Candidates below the current threshold remain ineligible for MBBS admission at this stage.
What the Colleges Are Asking For
The petition was brought by Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute and Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute.
At the November 5, 2026 hearing, their counsel cited Chapter 8, Clause II(b) of the NEET UG 2026 information bulletin. The colleges argue that unfilled MBBS seats justify asking the competent authority to use its discretion to lower the percentile.
The provision allows the competent authority to exercise powers and discretion in specified circumstances — the colleges are asking the court to direct that this discretion be used to reduce the qualifying requirement.
What the Vacancy Figures Show
MCC's special stray round listed 946 MBBS vacancies, and its provisional result contained 537 MBBS allotment entries.
| Figure | Value | What It Describes |
|---|---|---|
| MBBS vacancies listed (special stray round) | 946 | Seats offered at that stage |
| MBBS allotment entries (provisional result) | 537 | Provisional allotments made |
| Final vacant seats | Depends on allotment and joining outcome | Not yet fixed |
These figures describe seats offered and provisional allotments. A final count of vacant seats depends on the outcome of allotment and joining — it is not simply the difference between the two numbers.
What Candidates Should Do Now
- Continue using the existing qualifying criteria when assessing your eligibility.
- Do not assume a percentile reduction has been ordered — it has not.
- The hearing date itself opens no new application or counselling window. No new registration or choice-filling process has been announced in connection with this case.
- Watch for the response to the court's notice — that is the next substantive development.
- Candidates should check the official MCC and NMC portals for any formal notification, should one be issued.
Next Hearing: November 16, 2026
The Supreme Court has listed the matter for November 16, 2026, when the respondents are expected to respond to the notice. For applicants waiting on the case, the next development to watch is the response to the court's notice.
Official Portals and Notices
Candidates should monitor:
MCC: mcc.nic.in — for counselling notices and vacancy updates
NMC: nmc.org.in — for regulatory notifications [VERIFY exact URL]
Supreme Court: for the case orders and hearing updates [VERIFY case number/diary details]
Any change to the qualifying percentile would be communicated through official channels. Until then, the existing criteria apply.
