NewKerala.com

NEET-PG 2025 Cut-Off Slashed to 0% for Reserved Categories to Fill Seats

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has drastically reduced the NEET-PG 2025 qualifying percentile to zero for reserved categories to address a critical shortage of candidates for postgraduate medical seats. This decision comes after over 18,000 PG seats remained vacant following the second round of counselling across the country. The move, prompted by a formal request from the Indian Medical Association, aims to prevent the wastage of valuable educational resources and expand India's pool of medical specialists. Authorities emphasize that while eligibility is expanded, academic standards will not be diluted, and all admissions will proceed through transparent, centralized counselling based on merit.

Key Points: NEET-PG 2025 Cut-Off Lowered to 0 Percentile for Reserved Seats

  • Cut-off lowered to 0 percentile for reserved categories
  • Aims to fill over 18,000 vacant PG seats
  • Follows IMA's request to prevent seat wastage
  • No dilution of academic standards claimed
  • Admission via counselling only, no direct entry
2 min read

Govt lowers NEET-PG 2025 cut-off for counselling to 0 percentile for reserved categories

Govt reduces NEET-PG 2025 qualifying percentile to zero for reserved categories to fill over 18,000 vacant PG medical seats after counselling.

Govt lowers NEET-PG 2025 cut-off for counselling to 0 percentile for reserved categories
"The revision aims to ensure optimal utilisation of available seats, which are vital for expanding India's pool of trained medical specialists. - Official Sources"

New Delhi, Jan 14

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has lowered the minimum qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 counselling, according to official sources from the Ministry.

It has been slashed to zero percentile for reserved categories.

The move addresses the large number of vacant postgraduate medical seats -- over 18,000 PG seats -- after the completion of Round-2 counselling in government and private medical colleges across the country.

The previous percentile thresholds had restricted the pool of eligible candidates despite the availability of seats.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had formally requested a revision of the qualifying cut-off on January 12, citing the urgent need to prevent seat wastage and strengthen healthcare services.

"The revision aims to ensure optimal utilisation of available seats, which are vital for expanding India's pool of trained medical specialists. Leaving such seats vacant undermines national efforts to improve healthcare delivery and results in the loss of valuable educational resources," the sources said.

NEET-PG serves as a ranking mechanism to facilitate a transparent, merit-based allocation of seats through centralised counselling.

While the qualifying cut-off has been lowered, NEET-PG 2025 ranks will remain unchanged as published earlier, as per the NBEMS.

"Eligibility is provisional and will be verified through MBBS/FMGE aggregate marks, Face ID, or biometric checks at the time of admission," the board said in its official notice.

It also warned that incorrect or false information provided in the application -- especially if used in tie-breaking -- will lead to cancellation of candidature.

With the revision, allotments will be made only through authorised counselling mechanisms; no direct or discretionary admissions are permitted, improving transparency of the process.

Inter-se merit and choice-based allocation will continue to guide seat distribution.

Further, there will be no dilution of academic standards. The revised percentile merely expands eligibility among already-qualified MBBS doctors.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I understand the need to fill seats, setting the cut-off to zero percentile feels extreme. 🧐 Merit should have some baseline. What about the quality of training? I hope the verification of MBBS marks and biometric checks are done very strictly to maintain standards.
R
Rohit P
Finally! The IMA's request has been heard. This will help so many doctors, especially from remote areas, to pursue specialisation. Vacant seats in PG mean fewer doctors in districts. This move can strengthen our healthcare system from the ground up. Good step!
S
Sarah B
Interesting policy shift. The transparency angle is crucial—no discretionary admissions. As long as the inter-se merit system for allocation remains intact and verification is robust, this could be an efficient solution to a resource allocation problem.
K
Karthik V
This highlights a bigger issue - why are so many seats vacant in the first place? Is it the cost of private colleges? Location? The system needs a holistic review. This is a temporary fix. We need more affordable PG seats in government colleges.
N
Nisha Z
As a doctor's parent, I see both sides. My son worked very hard for his NEET-PG rank. I hope this doesn't devalue the effort of those who scored well. But ultimately, if it means more specialists for our country, it's for the greater good. 🤞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50