The Tamil Nadu government has filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court, urging a reconsideration of its May 29 directive that required the state to transfer 151 unfilled super-specialty medical seats to the Centre for admission through the national pool, Health Minister K G Arunraj announced on Friday. He emphasized that these seats are crucial for safeguarding opportunities for in-service government doctors.
Background of the Standoff
This petition represents the latest development in a prolonged dispute that has disrupted super-specialty admissions in fields such as cardiology, neurology, nephrology, and neurosurgery across the country, leaving over 6,400 seats vacant. Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu reserved 219 seats—nearly half of the 422 available across approximately 25 super-specialty streams in government medical colleges—exclusively for government doctors who cleared the NEET-SS exam. The state selection committee received only 170 applications. Among these, only 100 doctors who scored at or above the 50th percentile in their respective question paper groups, with qualifying scores ranging from 255 to 389 depending on the stream, made it to the rank list. After two rounds of state counseling, 71 allotments were made, and 68 doctors ultimately joined the courses.
Recurring Issue of Unfilled Seats
Several specialties among the 25 streams saw no takers at all. This is not a new problem. In 2024, 119 unfilled state quota seats were surrendered to the national pool, and 145 were surrendered the previous year. The state contends that the Centre lowered the qualifying percentile and filled these seats through the national merit list after they were surrendered, meaning candidates with lower scores—who were not Tamil Nadu government doctors—were admitted to the courses.
New Government's Stance
This year, the newly formed TVK government has decided to alter the approach. “The state deliberately chose not to surrender the seats,” Arunraj stated. “The seats should be retained to ensure opportunities for government doctors. As and when the Centre lowers the qualifying percentile, more candidates may apply and take the seats. All seats allocated under the state quota must be filled by candidates from Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Challenges for In-Service Doctors
While the state battles in court to retain its claim over the seats, academics and senior government doctors point out that bond conditions, poor remuneration, and a lack of timely promotions have discouraged in-service doctors from pursuing super-specialty courses. Government doctors in Tamil Nadu note that the conditions attached to in-service super-specialty seats make them unattractive even for those who qualify.
Under the admission rules, a government doctor who joins a DM or MCh course must serve the state until superannuation, with no fixed term or mid-career exit. The prospectus clearly states: “All service candidates of Tamil Nadu shall execute a bond for a sum of ₹50 lakh as security amount with the undertaking that they will serve the Government of Tamil Nadu till superannuation.” The bond requires two permanent government employees and a family member as guarantors—a process that candidates find more daunting than the exam itself. “Do they understand how difficult it is to get a guarantor?” asked Dr. A Ramalingam, state secretary of the Service and Post-Graduate Doctors Association.
Additional Disincentives
The disincentives do not stop there. The government faces a shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons, yet seats remain empty because those who join receive no promotions or pay increases. There is also no guarantee they will be posted in the super-specialty department, Dr. Ramalingam added. Even if the Centre lowers the cutoff, there is no assurance that the seats will be filled, he concluded.
