The Union government defended its decision to lower the NEET PG cut-off percentages in a Supreme Court submission. This move aims to prevent vacant postgraduate medical seats, not compromise academic standards.
NEET PG Cut-off Reduction Explained
For the 2025–26 academic session , approximately 70,000 postgraduate medical seats were available. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET PG 2025) saw 2,24,029 candidates appear. The government stated that a significant number of seats, specifically 9,621 out of 31,742 All India Quota (AIQ) seats, remained unfilled after the second round of counseling.
These vacant seats included 5,213 in government medical colleges and DNB institutions. The reduced cut-off made an additional 1,00,054 candidates eligible. This expanded the total eligible pool to 2,28,170 for the third round of counseling. Following this, only 2,988 seats remained vacant.
The government argued that this action prevents the wastage of public investment in medical infrastructure. It also aims to increase the number of specialist healthcare professionals. The reduction in cut-off is not unprecedented. Similar measures were implemented in previous years, including 2023 .
NEET PG’s Role in Admissions
In an affidavit, the Union of India clarified the purpose of the NEET PG exam. It serves as a filtering mechanism for allocating limited postgraduate seats. It generates an inter se merit list. NEET PG scores reflect relative performance. They do not certify minimum competence.
MBBS qualification already establishes minimum competence. Candidates are licensed MBBS practitioners. They are entitled to practice independently. Fears regarding patient safety are considered misplaced.
Postgraduate Training Safeguards
Postgraduate education is a structured, three-year supervised training program. Candidates work under senior faculty. Final competence is assessed rigorously. This occurs through MD and MS examinations.
These examinations require at least 50% marks. Scores are needed separately in theory and practical sections. No relaxation is permitted for these assessments.
The government stated that policy decisions regarding cut-offs are within the executive domain. The goal remains a merit-based allocation of seats. This is balanced with the need to fill available positions.