Over 95,000 additional candidates are now eligible for NEET-PG 2025 counselling. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) informed the Supreme Court of this change. The eligibility increase follows a reduction in the qualifying cut-off percentile for the exam.
Cut-off Reduction Impacts Eligibility
NBEMS stated in a Supreme Court affidavit that 95,913 more candidates can now participate in counselling. The board emphasized that any intervention at this stage would directly affect these newly eligible candidates. The affidavit explicitly notes that the decision to lower the cut-off was not made by NBEMS. This decision falls under the authority of the Directorate General of Health Services and the National Medical Commission.
Background of the Plea
The affidavit was filed in response to a petition challenging the reduced cut-off percentiles for NEET-PG 2025-26 admissions. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a plea that argues this cut-off reduction violates fundamental rights.
Seat Vacancies Prompt Cut-off Revision
A significant number of postgraduate medical seats remained vacant. Over 18,000 seats were unfilled across India. This led to the revision of qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions. The cut-off was lowered to zero percentile for reserved categories. This means candidates scoring as low as minus 40 out of 800 can now participate.
Details of Cut-off Changes
The NEET PG cut-off for the general category also saw a reduction. It was lowered from a 50 percentile to a 7 percentile. The Supreme Court issued notices regarding this matter on February 4. Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe are presiding over the case. The court’s review will determine the implications for the counselling process and the affected candidates.