PG Medical Seat Vacancies Climb Sharply as Government Increases Capacity
The number of vacant postgraduate medical seats in India has witnessed a significant rise over recent years. According to fresh data from the Medical Counselling Committee, vacancies after the first counselling round have increased substantially. The figures show a jump from 11,629 empty seats in 2021 to 17,619 vacancies in 2025.
Government Expansion Drives Vacancy Increase
The government has been actively expanding medical education capacity across the country. Official Parliament data reveals that PG medical seats increased from 40,858 in 2020 to 62,584 in 2025. This expansion forms part of a broader plan to add 75,000 more undergraduate and postgraduate seats over five years.
However, this expansion has coincided with a growing number of unfilled seats. The trend has been particularly noticeable since 2020, with vacancies climbing steadily each year.
Sharp Reduction in Cut-off Percentiles
With approximately 18,000 seats remaining vacant after the second counselling round, authorities have taken drastic measures. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, which conducts NEET PG, has significantly reduced qualifying percentiles.
The new cut-offs stand at:
- 7 percentile for general category students
- 5 percentile for Persons With Disability from general and EWS categories
- Zero percentile for all SC, ST, and OBC candidates, including those with disabilities
This reduction means candidates with extremely low scores, potentially as low as -40 marks, now qualify for PG seats. The move aims to fill seats in private medical colleges but raises concerns about merit-based admissions.
State-wise Vacancy Patterns
Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of vacant seats nationwide. MCC data shows vacancies in the state increased from 1,868 in 2021 to 2,801 in 2025 after the first counselling round.
Karnataka follows closely, with vacancies rising from 1,315 to 2,161 during the same period. Tamil Nadu completes the top three, where vacancies jumped from 1,227 to 1,932.
These three states together account for approximately one-third of all PG medical seats in India. They also host a large number of private colleges and hospitals, which many students avoid due to high fees and infrastructure concerns.
Private vs Government Sector Disparity
The private sector dominates medical education in several high-vacancy states. In Karnataka, private institutions offer 5,180 PG seats compared to 2,470 in government institutions. Tamil Nadu has seen private sector seats increase by 55% between 2020 and 2025, growing from 1,866 to 2,892 seats.
Dr. Rohan Krishnan, chief patron and co-founder of the FAIMA doctors' association, commented on this trend. He noted that reducing cut-offs primarily helps fill private college seats. This practice potentially disadvantages meritorious students who cannot afford high fees while allowing financially capable candidates with lower scores to secure admission.
Subject Preferences Among Candidates
Medical aspirants continue to show strong preferences for certain specialties. General medicine remains the top choice, selected by 43 to 53 of the top 100 rankers between 2020 and 2025. Radio-diagnosis follows closely, chosen by 35 to 45 top candidates.
Other popular subjects include:
- General surgery
- Dermatology
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Paediatrics
Conversely, non-clinical subjects attract the least interest. Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry consistently rank among the least preferred options. These subjects typically attract candidates from the lower ranks.
Historical Precedent from 2023
The 2023 counselling cycle provides a clear example of how reduced cut-offs affect admissions. That year, authorities set the cut-off percentile to zero for all categories.
Analysis of third-round results reveals striking figures. The last general category candidate to secure a seat scored just 11 marks, with a rank of 200,449. This compares to cut-offs of 201 marks in 2022 and 247 marks in 2021.
Similarly, the last OBC candidate admitted in 2023 scored only 5 marks, compared to 169 marks in 2022. SC and ST candidates secured seats with scores of 45 and 63 marks respectively.
Despite multiple counselling rounds, significant vacancies persist. In 2021, 3,744 seats remained unfilled after all counselling rounds. This number increased to 4,400 in 2022, indicating a growing challenge in filling available seats.
The medical education landscape continues to evolve as authorities balance expansion goals with maintaining educational standards and merit-based admissions.
