PG aspirants get relief: NMC allows seats in counselling without waiting for approvals

NEW DELHI:In a move that could ease anxiety for thousands of medical aspirants, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has allowed newly approved super-specialty postgraduate seats to be included in counselling without waiting for final approval letters.For students, this means faster counselling, fewer delays and better clarity on available seats.The regulator has said that seats cleared by its First Appeal Committee will be treated as valid for the ongoing counselling process, removing a key procedural hurdle that often slows down admissions.The decision comes at a crucial stage of the admission cycle, when delays in approvals typically hold up seat allocation and leave candidates uncertain about their options.Under the new direction, counselling authorities can now include these seats directly based on the approved list, instead of waiting for formal Letters of Permission (LoPs) from institutions.The order follows appeals filed by medical colleges against earlier seat allocations, which were reviewed and cleared by the First Appeal Committee under provisions of the NMC Act.The seats cover high-demand super-specialties such as cardiology, neurology, nephrology, urology and gastroenterology, across medical colleges in several states.The NMC has directed all state authorities and counselling bodies, including the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), to update their seat matrix and proceed with admissions, ensuring that the counselling process continues without procedural hold-ups.