Supreme Court Reviews Controversial NEET-PG Cut-Off Reduction

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has informed the Supreme Court that after reducing the qualifying cut-off percentile, 95,913 additional candidates are now eligible for NEET-PG 2025 counselling. According to the NBEMS affidavit filed in the apex court, any interference with this new eligibility could directly impact these candidates.

The NBEMS clarified that it played no role in the decision to lower the cut-off; the move was spearheaded by the Directorate General of Health Services, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the National Medical Commission. The launch of the new guidelines follows a plea challenging the significant reduction in qualifying cut-off, which decreased to zero, allowing even candidates scoring below zero to participate in later counselling rounds.

The reduction, driven by over 18,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats, has prompted concerns and a plea from social workers and doctors, citing potential violations of legal articles protecting equality and life guarantees. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notices to the relevant governmental bodies for their responses.