Plea in Allahabad HC challenges decision to reduce NEET-PG cut-off marks

Prayagraj (UP), Jan 21 (PTI) A PIL has been filed in the Allahabad High Court, challenging the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences’ (NBEMS) decision to allow the counselling of SC, ST and OBC students who scored minus 40 out of 800 marks in the NEET-PG 2025 exams.

Petitioner Abhinav Gaur, a lawyer, has termed the move unconstitutional, violating Article 16 of the Constitution that guarantees equal opportunity in public employment.

The plea has challenged the decision on the ground that a substantial reduction in the cut-off marks for NEET-PG 2025 will undermine the sanctity of a merit-based selection process.

The public interest litigation (PIL) plea has pointed out that after more than 18,000 seats were vacant following the second

round of counselling, the board drastically reduced the qualifying criteria, setting the score at -40/800 for the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) aspirants.

The petition has also pointed out that in the general (EWS) category, the cut-off has been reduced from 276 to 103, whereas in the general-PwBD category, it has been brought down from 255 to 90.

However, in the SC/ST/OBC category, the same was reduced from 235 to minus 40 marks, which will adversely impact public health and patient safety — matters of paramount public concern, involving a high level of academic precision.

It has been further pleaded that such a quality of doctors who do not have the minimum threshold to qualify for the examination would affect the right to health and life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The PIL is likely to be taken up by the court soon. PTI COR RAJ RC