The Supreme Court of India has instructed the Centre to hold a meeting with relevant stakeholders, including state representatives and private medical colleges, to address the issue of vacant seats in medical courses. The Apex Court emphasized that medical seats, particularly in super-speciality courses, should not remain unfilled.
A two-judge bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan made this observation while hearing the case. The issue was raised when the court was informed about the unfilled super-speciality seats in medical courses. In response, the Centre proposed setting up a committee consisting of stakeholders, including representatives from states and private medical colleges, chaired by the Director General of Health Services.
On January 3, 2025, the Centre’s counsel informed the court that the committee had been constituted and had submitted its recommendations. The Centre is expected to hold a meeting with stakeholders and propose a solution based on these recommendations. The Supreme Court directed the Centre to take necessary steps within three months and scheduled a follow-up hearing for April 2025.
The court also referred to its previous observation from April 2023, where it had expressed concern over 1,003 unfilled super-speciality seats, describing the situation as a "very sorry picture" due to lack of admissions. This underscores the urgency the court attaches to resolving the issue and ensuring that valuable medical seats are utilized effectively
