Medical panel sits on crores in refund to NEET-SS students for months

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the central body responsible for conducting NEET Super Speciality (NEET-SS) counselling, is facing serious allegations of illegally withholding Rs 2 lakh each in security deposits from thousands of doctors across the country even months after the counselling process concluded.

Candidates who register for NEET-SS counselling are required to deposit Rs 2 lakh as a “security amount” at the time of filling their choices. According to the MCC’s own guidelines published on its official website, this amount is to be refunded in full to candidates who either join an allotted seat or withdraw from the process following the scheduled timeline. Candidates who fail to join after final allotment forfeit the deposit.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Coordinator, Indian Medical Association, said this is not a delay but financial harassment of doctors. When students fail to pay on time, penalties are imposed within days, but when MCC delays refunds for months, there is no accountability. He demanded transparency timelines, and immediate action in this regard.

All conditions fulfilled, no refund

A large number of doctors who participated in the 2024 NEET-SS counselling, and even some from previous years, claim they have received no refund despite fulfilling all conditions. The counselling for the current academic year concluded in July-August 2024, meaning that eligible candidates should have received their money months ago.

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“Doctors are penalised within hours if we miss a fee deadline by even a day, but the MCC can sit on crores of rupees belonging to thousands of young doctors without any explanation or timeline,” grumbled a senior resident from a government medical college in Tamil Nadu who completed the admission process but is yet to get his refund.

Similar complaints have been raised by medical students across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states. Many doctors who spoke to The Federal said they have written multiple emails to the MCC helpdesk and tried contacting officials, but received no response. The MCC has not issued any public notification explaining the delay or providing a timeline for refunds.

‘Colleges not cooperating’

“Some of us are from the 2023 batch and are still waiting. This year, candidates have joined about four to five months ago but they have also not received the refund. The total money is stuck with MCC,” alleged another doctor from Karnataka who appeared for NEET-SS 2024.

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“The college authorities are also not cooperating in raising these requests, claiming they are not aware of any such issue because it’s not related to them,” said Sanjay, a NEET SS candidate from Karnataka.

The Federal attempted to reach MCC officials for comment but received no response.

Thousands of students distressed

The issue has now been raised by the Federation of All India Medical Association to the Medical Counselling Committee urging intervention in the issue, as this delay has led to distress among thousands of aspiring medical professionals.

“Nearly 10,000 candidates are still awaiting the refund of their NEET SS 2024 counselling fees, an issue that has lingered for over four months since the conclusion of the counselling process.

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“With the NEET SS 2025 exams looming next month, the prolonged delay is not only impacting the financial stability of these candidates but also casting a shadow of uncertainty over their future plans. We believe swift action is essential to uphold the integrity of the counselling process and restore faith among aspirants,” stated a letter by the association to MCC.

Dr Akshay Dongardive, National President, FAIMA, told The Federal that they urged the authorities to issue a refund for all the batches who have not been given the refund. They also urged the MCC office to prioritize this matter and facilitate the expedited processing of refunds at the earliest, ensuring fairness and transparency.