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NEET-PG Cutoff Revised to Fill 18,000 Vacant Seats, Sparks Medical Debate

The National Medical Commission has revised the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions to address the critical issue of over 18,000 vacant postgraduate medical seats across India. Officials state the decision, taken from a "national perspective," aims to optimize seat utilization and mitigate specialist doctor shortages. The process will remain strictly merit-based, with allotments made only through authorized counseling based on rank and preference. However, the move has generated controversy and debate within the medical community.

Key Points: NEET-PG 2025 Qualifying Percentile Cut to Fill Vacant Seats

  • Revised cutoff for NEET-PG 2025-26
  • Aims to fill over 18,000 vacant PG seats
  • Admissions remain strictly merit-based
  • Addresses specialist doctor shortage
  • Sparks debate in medical fraternity
3 min read

We need to understand problems holistically from national perspective: Top Official on NEET-PG percentile

NMC revises NEET-PG cutoff percentiles to address 18,000+ vacant PG medical seats, aiming to reduce doctor shortages. Decision sparks debate.

"We need to understand problems holistically from a national perspective. - Top Official"

By Shalini Bhardwaj, New Delhi, January 17

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences issued a notification on 13 January regarding the revised qualifying cutoff for the 2025-26 NEET-PG admissions. According to the top official, the decision was taken from a "national perspective," stating, "We need to understand problems holistically from a national perspective."

The official source further explained, "All students have cleared state university degree exams and internships. NEET PG is a competitive entrance test to built up merit list. since the seats are much lower than those of aspirant students. Here we are not changing scores of the students, and the biggest reason for negative scores is due to the structure ofthe examination with negative marking for wrong answers."

"In a significant move to address the large number of vacant postgraduate medical seats across the country, the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions were revised by the National Medical Commission (NMC). This decision follows the completion of Round-2 counselling, where over 18,000 PG seats remained unfilled in government and private medical colleges," sources said.

"The revision aims to ensure optimal utilisation of available seats. Leaving a large number of seats vacant undermines national efforts to improve healthcare delivery and results in the loss of valuable educational resources," sources further added.

All NEET-PG candidates are MBBS-qualified doctors who have completed their degrees and internships. NEET-PG serves as a ranking mechanism to facilitate transparent seat allocation through centralised counselling.

"This reduction in percentile widens the pool of eligible candidates to fill the available seats, thereby addressing specialist doctor shortages and ensuring the utilisation of public investment in medical education and the health sector. It is emphasised that the allotment will be made strictly according to the merit list and availability of vacant seats in various disciplines," sources explained.

This measure is consistent with past academic years and has proven effective in ensuring maximum seat utilisation. Also, final competence is not at entry but at exit in these cases, where all PG students undergo 3 years of supervised training and must clear final university exams, with no relaxation permitted.

"The key Highlights is for revising percentile are that admissions remain strictly merit-based, determined by NEET-PG rank and candidate preferences. Allotments will be made only through authorised counselling mechanisms; no direct or discretionary admissions are permitted. In the interim, merit and choice-based allocation will continue to guide seat distribution. The revised percentile expands eligibility among already-qualified MBBS doctors," said sources

"Transparency and fairness remain central to the process," it said

However, the move has sparked debate within the medical fraternity, with some associations calling it a controversial issue.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I understand the need to fill seats, I'm worried about dilution of standards. NEET-PG is supposed to filter the best. If the cutoff is too low, are we compromising on the quality of future specialists? The "holistic" view shouldn't mean lowering the bar.
V
Vikram M
The real issue is the negative marking system. It punishes attempts and creates fear. Many capable doctors get negative scores. Revising the percentile is a temporary fix. They should reform the exam pattern itself. #ChangeNEETPGPattern
S
Sarah B
As someone who follows medical education globally, this seems like a sensible resource allocation move. The key is the supervised 3-year training and final exit exam. If those standards are strict, the entry percentile adjustment is pragmatic to address doctor shortages.
R
Rohit P
This will benefit so many MBBS doctors who have already cleared their degree and internship. 18,000 vacant seats is a criminal waste of resources in a country that needs more specialists. Hope the counselling remains transparent as promised. 🙏
K
Karthik V
The problem is deeper - not enough PG seats for the number of MBBS graduates. Instead of adjusting cutoffs every year, why not increase PG seats, especially in government colleges? That's the long-term "national perspective" solution we need.

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