Karnataka's medical seat paradox: 191 MBBS vacancies despite record counselling rounds

Karnataka has 191 vacant MBBS seats despite seven rounds of counselling for the 2026 academic year, the first such instance in five years. High management-quota fees, affordability concerns and student preferences have affected admissions, prompting the state to seek a reduction in the NEET-UG qualifying percentile to widen the pool of eligible candidates.