NEET PG 2025 Counselling Cut-off: In a shocking, but repeated move, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has slashed the cut-off
scores for NEET PG 2025, following directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The decision was taken to fill the remaining 9,000 vacant PG medical seats. As per the revised criteria, the qualifying percentile for general and EWS candidates has been reduced from 50th to 7th percentile, and for general persons with benchmark disability (PwBD) from 45th to 5th percentile. For SC, ST and OBC candidates, the percentile has been reduced from 40 to zero, with the corresponding cut-off score fixed at -40 out of 800 (due to negative marking). The revised cutoff of -40 would have been achieved by a candidate if they gave wrong answers to many questions. However, these candidates will still be deemed as eligible to pursue higher degree in the medical field and become a doctor. "So, a person who did not know the correct answer to several questions is supposed to then save someone's life? Are we supposed to trust them with a person's life? How can I show confidence in a person who scored negative marks in an entrance exam that thousands of people clear every year," said a Delhi doctor who completed his postgraduation two years ago. Other experts have also raised concerns over the slashing of cutoff once again. "The NEET PG percentile has once again been reduced, and this time it has been brought down to zero percentile. This means that even candidates who have scored minus 40 in the examination are now eligible. A candidate who does not attempt any question would score zero, but there are candidates who attempted several questions, answered many of them incorrectly, and therefore ended up with minus 40. Despite this, they are now considered eligible to become clinicians in this country,” said Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron, Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA). People are also worried that these candidates who have scored in minus will now be performing surgeries on them. "They are also eligible to take part in surgeries, they are also eligible to practice medicine in this nation. I think that this is very sad and it has become a trend that every year they are reducing the percentile of the NEET and if we want to see that why it is happening, why it is they are constantly reducing, then we must understand that this is because they want to fill up the seats of the private medical colleges," Rohan added. A cancer patient from Himachal Pradesh also shared her concerns on how will patients be able to trust their doctors anymore. "I am a cancer patient, my child has asthma, and so we are continuously in and out of hospitals. Right now, I trust the doctors on what they say, but by the time my kid grows up, we will see them trusting ChaGPT over doctors, because clearly the AI will know more than these doctors who aren't even able to clear an entrance exam, the eligibility criteria. My point is, why even waste money in conducting these exams then? Simply give admission to whoever pays the government more," she said. An X user also shared similar concern. "Someone who just sits for the exam will become doctor and do surgeries. This country has no future for hardworking people. The collapse has already begun!" shared Anuradha Tiwari. "In simple language if you have money or specific category then even if you slept in the exam and scored negative marks = someone who topped /worked hard," Dr. Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson Indian Medical association JDN, shared on X.
