The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has lowered the qualifying percentile for reserved category candidates for the NEET PG 2025 cut-off for the third round of counselling to
zero. This change allows those who scored as low as minus 40 marks out of 800 in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) 2025 to partake in the third round of ongoing counselling for postgraduate medical admissions.
The qualifying percentile for the general category has been decreased from the 50th to the 7th percentile, while for disabled individuals, it has been reduced from the 45th to the 5th percentile. For SC, ST, and OBC candidates, the cut-off has been set to zero.
This adjustment means all reserved category candidates who took the NEET-PG 2025 are now eligible for admission to MD and MS seats that remain vacant after the first two rounds of counselling, as the minimum qualifying mark requirement has been removed. The NBEMS stated this decision was made following directions from the Union health ministry.
The move has faced considerable criticism from the medical community, who are worried about a potential decline in academic standards in medical education.
#NEETPG2025 reality check:
-40 qualifies.
0 is a flex.
MONEY IS THE REAL RANK HERE.#neetpgcounselling2025 #MedTwitter pic.twitter.com/zbHc12uozU— Dr Abygdala (@DrAndEtcetera) January 14, 2026
NEET PG ka cutoff ZERO percentile kar diya gaya!!
Yeh reservation debate nahi hai, yeh competence vs human life ka sawaal hai.
Seats fill karne ke chakkar mein public health ko clearance sale pe kyun daala ja raha hai?#NEETPG #neetpg2025 pic.twitter.com/04F2ZGz3VK
— Archit Vats | digitalindianyt (@digitalindianyt) January 14, 2026
The NEET-PG 2025 exam was conducted on August 3, 2025, with the results published on August 19. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) organized the first round of counselling from October to November 2025, followed by the second round in late November and early December.
Recently, the MCC updated the seat matrix, adding 540 seats after candidates resigned in the first two rounds. Additionally, 135 new PG medical seats were introduced, increasing the total number to 32,215.
