MP NEET PG 2026: Round 1 admissions stay on hold, next hearing on November 17
By TUF News Desk · Published 6 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Doctors who won a seat in the first round of Madhya Pradesh NEET PG counselling still cannot join their colleges. The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur on Thursday refused to lift its stay on admissions, and the case will come up again on November 17.
Chief Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain heard the matter at length on November 5. The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) in Bhopal had asked the court to vacate or change its earlier order on the 30% quota for in-service candidates, but the court kept the stay in place. Senior advocate Aditya Sanghi, who appeared for open-category students, called it a success for open-category PG aspirants in the state.
What the court ordered on November 2
The dispute began with the merit list the DME prepared for the first round of MP State Combined NEET PG Counselling. Open-category candidates challenged it in court, saying the lists for open-category and in-service candidates had been merged. Their petition said some of the best MD and MS seats went to in-service doctors, even beyond the 30% reserved for them, while open-category candidates with higher NEET PG scores were left out.
On November 2, the court passed an interim order in the case, WP 44909 of 2026: seats given to in-service candidates must not cross 30% in any discipline or specialisation, and the merit lists of open-category and in-service candidates must not be mixed. The court also asked the state government and the Director of Medical Education to file replies by November 5.
The petitioners also pointed to Rule 14 of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Admission Rules, 2018, under which in-service candidates get extra marks for years of service. The court observed that this gave them two benefits at once, the quota and the added marks, while higher-scoring fresh candidates lost out.
Round 1 admissions remain frozen
A day later, on November 3, the DME put the Round 1 admission process on hold with immediate effect. Its notice told every candidate allotted a seat in the first round to wait for further directions from the court. The process stays frozen until the court passes fresh orders, and no revised schedule has been announced yet.
That leaves the provisional Round 1 allotment, published on October 29, in limbo. Candidates had registered between October 10 and 20, and were to report to their colleges between October 30 and November 10. None of that can move forward while the stay holds. The seats cover MD, MS, PG Diploma and Post MBBS DNB courses in government and private medical colleges across the state, including colleges affiliated to Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University in Jabalpur.
What candidates should do now
For now, allotted candidates have little to do except wait for the November 17 hearing and watch the official DME Madhya Pradesh counselling portal, where the DME will publish every notice and the revised schedule. Candidates should not travel to their allotted colleges until the DME says reporting has resumed.
Paperwork should be kept ready, since reporting could restart at short notice once the court decides. The admission documents checklist runs through the papers candidates usually need for a reporting visit. Those weighing whether to accept an allotted seat or wait for a later round can read how to choose a university in India first.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next hearing in the MP NEET PG 2026 case?
November 17, 2026. The High Court at Jabalpur will hear the matter again then, after refusing on November 5 to lift the stay.
What did the High Court order about in-service seats?
In its November 2 interim order, the court capped in-service candidates at 30% of seats in any PG medical specialisation and said open-category and in-service merit lists must be kept separate.
Can Round 1 allotted candidates report to their colleges now?
No. The Directorate of Medical Education has withheld Round 1 admissions, and they stay on hold until the High Court passes further orders.
Where should MP NEET PG candidates check for updates?
On the official counselling portal, dme.mponline.gov.in, where the DME will publish notices and the revised schedule.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next hearing in the MP NEET PG 2026 case?
November 17, 2026. The High Court at Jabalpur will hear the matter again then, after refusing on November 5 to lift the stay.
What did the High Court order about in-service seats?
In its November 2 interim order, the court capped in-service candidates at 30% of seats in any PG medical specialisation and said open-category and in-service merit lists must be kept separate.
Can Round 1 allotted candidates report to their colleges now?
No. The Directorate of Medical Education has withheld Round 1 admissions, and they stay on hold until the High Court passes further orders.
Where should MP NEET PG candidates check for updates?
On the official counselling portal, dme.mponline.gov.in, where the DME will publish notices and the revised schedule.
Sources: Free Press Journal, Careers360, The Telegraph