The Madras High Court has ruled that no counselling can be held to fill vacant medical seats after the fixed cut-off date for admissions each year. The court set aside a September 18, 2025 order directing the Central Medical Counselling Committee to conduct mop-up counselling for vacant super specialty seats in Tamil Nadu. Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan allowed an appeal by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They agreed with Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan that counselling beyond the August 31, 2025 deadline should not be conducted. The single judge had earlier passed orders following a petition by three doctors who said many super specialty seats remained vacant due to poor coordination among officials. However, the Division Bench referred to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that medical admission regulations with strict timelines have the highest approval and must be followed. The Bench stated, "once the last date of admission, i.e. August 31, 2025 was over, the writ petitioners could not be granted relief by this court and the writ petition was liable to be dismissed." The Bench also rejected reliance on a 2023 Supreme Court order that allowed counselling beyond cut-off in specific cases, noting the top court itself said it should not be used as precedent. The court said only the Supreme Court can make exceptions to deadline rules, not High Courts. While recognizing the High Court’s wide powers to prevent injustice, the Bench emphasized that admission schedules are law-backed regulations that must be followed. If admission deadlines pass, the Bench wrote, "the party has to be left to work out the remedy by approaching the apex court." This verdict clarifies that medical seat admissions must strictly observe cut-off dates to maintain order and fairness in the process.